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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27637172">Only a Third</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Aliens/pseuds/Little_Aliens'>Little_Aliens</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Avengers are a thing, Domestic Discipline, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Guilt, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Pheromones, Regret, Scenting, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Soul Bond, Spanking, Suicide Attempt, There is a suicide attempt you have been warned, This story starts off sad, Trauma, please read the tags, read the tags, some dark stuff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 21:07:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>73,186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27637172</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Aliens/pseuds/Little_Aliens</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone is born with a soulmate who shares the same mark, regardless of gender or second gender, they will be each others perfect match, unless somethings missing. One in every two hundred bonds will have someone called a third. A third is someone who is the perfect middle in their relationship and will seamlessly create one of the strongest bonds around. Since they are less common, thirds are easily forgotten or ignored and often become isolated from others because of their differences. They are required, by law, to enter their soulmark into a worldwide matching system, in order to give them the best chance at finding their mates. It is not required of anyone else to do the same.<br/>--<br/>Bruce and Natasha have been together since first laying eyes on each other and finding that they were meant to be, but the relationship has been rocky since the start. They get along well enough to feel like all they need is a little more hard work, and don't even stop to think about what, or who, could be missing until it's almost too late.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov, Bruce Banner/Original Female Character(s)/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>163</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>200</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The past few months had been hard on them, on everyone in the tower, as Natasha and Bruce fought and snarled at each other. Their bitter and resentful scents tainted any room they were in as they tried to work out their differences but only managed to make things worse instead.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It’d never been like this before. It was well known that two alphas in a relationship were destined to have quarrels and be at each other’s throats, but since first meeting each other they had been fine. Even through all the missions and almost dying in order to save the city they had stayed strong and true to their </span>
  <span>soulbond</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Until now.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the pack, all the other Avengers, were sick of their behavior and blatant disdain of each other and had begun to avoid them like the plague. Which only made it worse for them, the dominant nature that they both held clashing against each other. Most nights Bruce slept in a separate room, wanting to comfort and soothe his soulmate, to be the one in charge and make her see that he only wanted to help. She wanted the same, but neither of them wanted to be the one cuddled, or be scolded.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to be held!” Bruce would growl at her, barely holding back from letting the hulk take him over and forcing her to submit.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And I don’t want you touching me!” She’d snap back at him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Their venomous voices carried throughout the common areas and scared away anyone in the vicinity. He’d never considered hitting her before, or punishing her for disobeying as some couples did with their omegas and betas, as they were both equal, yet he couldn’t help but think of it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Usually after a fight or disagreement they’d go to sleep, sometimes in different rooms or brooding quietly in the same bed, and wake in the morning feeling relieved. Almost satisfied and refreshed by something. Mostly they chalked it up to being in a comfortable bed, or getting the chance to be in each other’s arms after a mission, but it no longer worked.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They were soulmates, they were meant to be together, destined to get along and love each other. Made for each other, yet the bond had begun to waver. Years ago, as Loki and the Avengers began to assemble, when they’d first met each other and knew immediately that they were each other’s. It’d been such a relief, so comforting to see that they belonged, found the other without even bothering with the marked system.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t make sense, why now?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hurts, it hurts</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The voice woke both of them from their sleep, shaking and fearful in their separate rooms. It pulled them out of bed and towards each other, somehow it was painful, clenching at their hearts as if they had been wounded. Immediately their worry for each other flooded the bond, looking to soothe but the feeling persisted for another hour before finally fading.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Without saying anything they held each other, both thinking that the words had come from the other and doing their best to make up despite their earlier anger. But the voice persisted for another month until Tony made them go to the doctor and check up on their bond to make sure everything was okay.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You have a third, or perhaps had is the right word,” the doctor stated.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry?” Bruce countered in disbelief.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Somewhere out there is your other soulmate, the perfect piece to finish your puzzle,” the beta stated.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what a third is,” Bruce growled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What makes you think we have one?” Natasha muttered. The Doctor for all things </span>
  <span>bond</span>
  <span> and soulmate related was often sarcastic and would sometimes give false information just to watch people squirm. This time, she was sure, was another of those instances.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You told me,” he scoffed before continuing. “All those fights you used to have and the bitter feelings that would disappear after going to sleep. Your third was comforting you, reaching out through the bond to ease your anger at each other. It’s the only reason you’ve lasted this long without them,” he explained.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why couldn’t we feel her through the bond?” Natasha nearly sneered. This doctor was such a jerk.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t work both ways. Thirds aren’t always needed, or wanted, in a bond and can be forced out. They can give but can’t take, it’s not uncommon to never hear a third through the bond until they’re mated.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But we heard her,” the red headed alpha snapped.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And that’s why I said had, you had a third,” the doctor muttered. “She’s giving up on the bond, poor thing.” He sighed. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Bruce paled at his words.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Giving up on a </span>
  <span>soulbond</span>
  <span> was painful and meant that they would never find someone who truly loved and accepted them as who they were. There would be a persisting emptiness for the rest of their lives, for all people involved, as a piece of them had been torn away forever.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the same as how you two were initially, while unmated only strong emotions, painful ones, make it through the </span>
  <span>soulbond</span>
  <span>. Thirds are different, because they’re made to complete and enhance a bond, they’re more sensitive and pick up on things easier. She’s been helping you guys since you’ve met. I know what you’re like, what this job does to you and your relationships. To be honest, I’m surprised she lasted this long,” he muttered the last part.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t we know?” Natasha growled. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve always known,” the doctor countered. His voice was nonchalant but his expression had begun to sour as his eyes hardened with a slight glare.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s no-,” she tried to snap back but he interrupted her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Something was missing, right?” He challenged her, standing up to look down on them. Bruce snarled at the open hostility in his features, who was he to treat them this way? “You fought a lot, that should’ve been a clue, your needs don’t match up yet </span>
  <span>your</span>
  <span> soulmates, that should’ve been a clue, you exchange terrible words with each other yet always mysteriously make up, that should have been a clue.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We were trying to make it work,” Natasha insisted.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“By yourselves,” he continued. Every word he spoke felt like a punch in the gut, another nail in their coffins as he calmed down a little. “I know you’ve been </span>
  <span>busy;</span>
  <span> your job is stressful and information about thirds isn’t seen as too important unless you are one, or have one.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not our fault,” Bruce growled. His mate had shrunk into him a little, taking all the information they’d been given to heart as she thought about all the </span>
  <span>years</span>
  <span> they’d been together that their third had been alone.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you’re blaming her?” The beta deadpanned.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” the male alpha blurted out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Put your </span>
  <span>soulmarks</span>
  <span> into the system, with any luck you’ll find her,” he handed them the paperwork. “Thirds are required, by law, to put their mark in.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How long will it take?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Couple days,” he sighed. “The results will be emailed to you as soon as you match. Did you need anything else?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, that was all,” Bruce stood slowly before shaking his hand. He didn’t want to, in fact, at the moment he felt nothing but anger at the beta in front of him who had been very informative. The bitterness was misplaced and he knew it.</span>
  
</p><p><span>“Good luck.”</span> <br/>
<span>--</span></p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t want to hurt </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>anymore...</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After a couple months of being able to hear their third, and now knowing who it was that was speaking to them, the throbbing pressure had only gotten worse. They could barely sleep at all and it seemed to hurt even more when they were together. After being told what was happening Tony had spent the rest of the day telling them facts about thirds. It only made them feel worse about what they had been accidentally doing to her in the past few years.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Thirds only felt urges and feelings of love towards their soulmates, any other intimate relationships felt empty. They were often a combination of two secondary genders and were always capable of giving birth despite their gender. A third is incapable of giving a mating bite and can only receive them from their soulmates, a bite from anyone else is like poison. Their eyes are an exact match to their mates and will often be two different colors, this is the easiest way to distinguish a third out in public.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hurts</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Their scent is a blend of many things, all of which smell amazing to their soulmates, but can be confusing and off putting for anyone else. Once they’re mated the scent mellows out, but it had been proven that the mix of pheromones is to deter anyone else from approaching them. Thirds without mates were a miserable existence as they could be nothing but friends with anyone else for the rest of their lives.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span>..</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was a combination of her voice and a subtle alarm that woke them up, a flashing red light that indicated an incoming message.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Jarvis?” Bruce questioned sluggishly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, it’s the email you’ve been waiting for,” the ai spoke to them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you put it on the screen,” he yawned.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dimly, please,” Natasha muttered next to him. They pushed themselves to sit up slowly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” the voice spoke again. “Your soulmate, her name is June </span>
  <span>Gourk</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The wall in front of them changed to display the email, before them was a picture of a girl with mismatched eyes, ashy brown hair, and an easygoing smile. There was also an image of her matching </span>
  <span>soulmark</span>
  <span>, that was said to be located on her right shoulder, which was the same as theirs.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s-,” Bruce started but his mate interrupted him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“My eye and yours.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s younger than us,” the male muttered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This picture was taken when she first presented and registered eleven years ago,” Jarvis supplied for them. Natasha’s face twisted up in guilt at his words, she had been alone all that time, hoping that one of them would register in the system, that she would match. Even the years they had been together and not even given her a thought, weighed upon them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But she’s ours,” Bruce breathed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Jarvis, look up everything you can about June </span>
  <span>Gourk</span>
  <span>,” Natasha said anxiously. They had to find her before the bond dissolved, or they would lose her and their link to each other.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Right away, ma’am.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t go back to sleep,” the short haired alpha muttered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Neither can I,” his </span>
  <span>red-haired</span>
  <span> mate agreed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was a questionnaire about her further down the screen, what her likes and dislikes had been at the time, what she wanted to do with her life, and her dream job. A normal civilian was their third, her expression in the picture made them feel warm, but what did she look like now?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a face to put on the voice they imagined her for the rest of the night, cowering against her bed, whimpering in pain at a fading bond that had brought her nothing but heartache. It grated against them, to even think that their other soulmate was suffering alone, the illusion of tears running down her cheeks because of what they had done was too much. The guilt coursing through their bond was thick and choked them, there was anger, remorse, and shame.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The next morning Tony was upon them before they could even say anything, he knew more about the girl than they did. He’d woken up early and questioned Jarvis before spending an hour reading up on his pack mates third and finding out where she was and how she could be reached. Her number was presented to them immediately.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Right now,” The other alpha snapped.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s still early Tony,” Bruce muttered looking at his watch. It was barely past seven.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then leave a message.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do it,” Natasha grabbed the paper from her partner and typed it in. Hesitating for a moment before putting it on speaker so her mate could hear what their third might say if she picked up. Hearing it ring made her nervous, what could she say? What should she say?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, you’ve called June, I don’t pick up calls from unknown numbers. If you’d like me to call you back please leave a message, if you don’t leave a message, I’m not calling you back.” The recorded message ended with a beep and Bruce and Natasha froze, as soon as she’d started speaking, they couldn’t get her pained whimpers out of their heads. Somewhere, on the other side of the phone, she was suffering, and they were letting it happen. Realizing they were </span>
  <span>worthless;</span>
  <span> Tony snatched the phone from her hands before speaking into it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello June, this call is in regards to your </span>
  <span>soulmark</span>
  <span>. Two alphas registered theirs into the system and it’s a match, they would love to meet you. Please call us back so we can set up a time that you can get together. We’ll call again tomorrow if we still haven’t heard from you, thank you for your time.” He ended the call and turned a glare on the two of them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Idiots,” he growled. “When she calls back, are you going to be able to talk to her?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Bruce mumbled while Natasha hugged her mate tightly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This is my phone for the day, I guess,” he scoffed. “At least we’ll be working in the lab together.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha hung around the lab as much as she could, though Bruce was almost worthless when they were near each other. Their guilt and worry almost palpable in the air around them and finally Tony kicked her out, promising that he would have Jarvis broadcast the call to her no matter where she was. The hours passed by agonizingly slow, each chime and sound making Bruce jerk towards the other alpha to see what was going on.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, as the day neared its end around eight in the evening, she called back and Tony put it on speaker for them to listen to. Waiting all day had been torture and Bruce was convinced that they wouldn’t hear back from her at all. Natasha had checked back with them several times that day, sure that she had merely missed the call and they were withholding information from her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, this is June,” her voice was quiet. It sounded completely different from the almost joking tone that had been recorded to her answering message. She sounded exhausted, and Bruce couldn’t help but imagine bags under her eyes. “You called me earlier about a match.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We did, the alphas would like to meet you, is there a time that would work best?” Tony asked, trying to appear professional.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to meet them,” her cold voice was like a knife sinking into Bruce. His inner alpha whined pathetically at the rejection and urged him to persist.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure? They were very excited to have matched with you.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I doubt it,” she muttered. It was painful, Tony cast him a worried glance as he tried to figure out what he could say to reach her, to help her give them a chance.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You could start with talking, I can give them a message from you. Is there anything you want them to know?” Bruce admired the other alpha for his quick thinking, any step forward, even such a small one, was welcome.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell them it’s too late,” she answered quickly. “Or,” she hesitated while her soulmate tried not to whimper and give himself away. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. None of </span>
  <span>it</span>
  <span> matters,” her last comment was said so softly they almost didn’t hear it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Tony questioned before he could stop himself. “Ma’am?” He added for good measure.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for calling me, was there anything else I needed to do?” She asked him instead, her voice returning to the same tired one that she had started with. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That was it. I’ll pass on the message, have a good rest of your day,” Tony said, earning a glare from the other alpha who wanted him to continue the call.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You too,” she hung up.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you let her go?! Call her back!” Bruce was close to shouting. She sounded so tired, so drained and he was sitting there doing nothing to comfort her, some alpha he was!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She doesn’t want to talk to you, you heard her,” Tony snapped at him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His own alpha instincts had flared up during the brief conversation as well, she wasn’t even his, yet the call had been so painful. His own alpha was screaming at him to protect her, to steal her away from her ungrateful mates, but he knew it wouldn’t change anything. The only people that could help her now were the ones that had made her like that in the first place.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Bruce was near tears with worry and shame, he felt betrayed but at the same time knew that it was his own doing. Should he let her do what she wanted, or drag her into his arms and never let go? There was a chance she would hate him if he ignored her wishes, but that was better than losing her from the bond forever, right?</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“What do I do? What can I do? I don’t blame her; I can’t blame her.” Bruce started to babble, hands beginning to run through his hair as he stressed and panicked. Parts of his skin seemed to swell and relax as he started to pace back and forth in the lab, the green beast inside him had started to feel somewhat tight and restrained.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Calm down first,” Tony snapped at him without meaning to.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How could I?” He all but roared in response. “Sorry, sorry,” he apologized almost immediately. “The other guy,” he said, referring to the green monster within himself. “He’s so mad, he wants to go get her, take her away,” the alpha explained.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should,” a new voice cut through to them. Bucky, Steve’s unruly beta mate, stood in the doorway to the lab. His cold face, that always seemed to be accusing them of something, had a somewhat softer look to it today. “I’ve just come from the training deck, Nat seems a bit out of her mind,” he explained. “Couldn’t help but spill everything soon as Steve asked what was wrong.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is she okay?” Bruce paled. While thinking about June, hearing her voice and feeling the rejection, he had neglected to reach out in the bond towards his alpha counterpart. Touching it now felt almost wrong, the emotions were so raw and painful it made him frown grimly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re planning to go get her tomorrow. Jarvis found her address,” the beta went on.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She doesn’t want that,” Bruce snarled. He liked the </span>
  <span>long-haired</span>
  <span> man but he had no business sticking his nose where it didn’t belong, he had no idea what they were going through.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then you’re okay with losing her?” Tony said. He’d gotten to his feet as well and had started to walk towards Bucky in the doorway, ready to help plan if he was needed. Bruce saw it as taking sides and growled openly at what he felt to be a betrayal.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course not.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then you shouldn’t hesitate,” Bucky snapped. The accusing expression was back on his face in full form, and this time it had meaning. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>With his mind made up, and the other two on board, the three began to move towards the training floor only to meet Steve and Natasha at the elevator. Her eyes were slightly red and the rest of her burned with anger, he didn’t have to touch the bond to know that it was directed at herself because he felt the same way.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were going to her apartment the next day, after talking Natasha down from going to steal her during the night. Half hoping that giving her a night to sleep on the knowledge that her soulmates wanted to meet her would help change her opinion of them. She lived a couple states away, although it was nothing that a private jet couldn’t cover.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no voice keeping them awake that night, only the same throbbing pressure that had begun to sink into their bones and choke them in the night. They’d gotten somewhat used to it and wondered what it would feel like once they were able to breathe normally once again. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sleep was fitful and only proved to exhaust them more as the two alphas went over her words in their head, worry and guilt the only things prevalent in the bond. No words were needed between them as any tentative touch of their connection was enough to speak volumes and volumes about how they felt about everything.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Restlessness saw them lingering around the kitchen, constantly reheating cups of coffee that they didn’t drink as the sun began to rise. The persistent, painful, pressure only seemed to get worse as the sun rose until it was hard to breathe and split through their heads. The bond started to scream in agony and had them gasping even as they avoided it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something’s wrong,” Bruce rasped.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can barely move,” Natasha grunted. “Call Tony, Jarvis, call.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right away, ma’am.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Three minutes saw a flustered Tony sprinting into the kitchen followed by a grumpy Bucky who was dressed and ready to go.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I sent an ambulance to her house, hopefully nothing is wrong but we’ll meet them at the hospital. Pepper is on her way up to take care of you guys, you’re in no shape to come,” the alpha rushed out.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can go,” Bruce growled, standing up despite the pounding in his head. The green beast beneath his skin was ready to snap, and pushed his tired body to keep going, to retrieve their mate. “One of us has to. Stay here, we’ll bring her back,” Bruce squeezed Natasha’s hands before kissing her on the forehead.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony had called ahead as they flew over, Steve doing his best to be a pillar of support as Bruce grunted and groaned at the building strain on his body. As the news came to him the Ironman masked his features well enough to not catch the other worried alphas attention.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce and Natasha’s third was limp when they found her, a slow fading heartbeat that spurred them into rushing her back to the hospital where they had immediately pumped her stomach. She hadn’t held back and swallowed nearly every pill in her apartment, including a handful of old prescribed medications. Tony couldn’t help the growl that escaped him which had Bruce snapping to look at him as if he had been slapped.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They pumped her stomach,” he said softly. Bucky and Steve flinched at the information while Bruce stilled in front of him, his eyes widening until a look of horror set deep into his features. It was as if all the life had drained out of him within seconds and he barely realized that the choking pressure had finally begun to fade.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck! Damnit,” the alpha cursed. It was unlike him to get so heated about something, he’d gotten past that point in his life and had control of his anger enough that it didn’t cause trouble. They couldn’t blame him, even as his skin rippled and warped as the other guy threatened to </span>
  <span>explode,</span>
  <span> he breathed deeply to control it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want us to-,” Steve asked from the pilot’s seat. Changing into the other guy inside the plane would be a nightmare for all of them, the blonde-haired alpha was ready to open the back of the plan for him to escape if he needed it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” he seethed. “</span>
  <span>Fuuuck</span>
  <span>! No, I’ll </span>
  <span>be..</span>
  <span> I </span>
  <span>can..</span>
  <span> I have to see her, hold her,” he rasped, holding himself together as much as possible. “Scent her, keep her safe, never let anything happen to her again,” he started to ramble. So visibly upset with himself that he could barely breathe through the shuddering gasps that shook his very being. The bond was still tender, but Bruce could feel Natasha reaching out to comfort him as it flooded with despair. “Don’t tell Nat,” he snapped.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nearly transformed again when they entered the hospital, the looks he got from the nurses and doctors as he explained that he was her soulmate were cold. Their expression had changed so quickly from friendly, when they first approached, to hollow resentment after learning who they were there for. The fact that someone would allow their own destined to get to such a low point was appalling and heavily looked down on. They were likely all thinking the same thing, that he didn’t deserve her, and they were right.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The difference between June’s old picture and the girl lying unconscious on the bed was shocking. Her ashy brown hair was messy, tangled, and seemed to have paled in color. She looked sickly and far too thin, dry skin and chapped lips, her small form moving up and down slightly as she breathed. There were tubes connected to her and a monitor that beeped to prove she was still alive.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as they had walked into the room there was a sense of coming home that came about Bruce, as if he had finally come upon something that he’d lost long ago. Yet there was also a sour stench in the space that he couldn’t quite place until he was next to her and realized it was the stink of a bleeding bond. It made him sick to look at her knowing that she was there because of him, because of his ignorance. He’d smelled it before when he’d worked as a doctor while in hiding and seen the aftermath of being torn apart from a </span>
  <span>soulmate</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll take care of the paperwork,” Tony and Steve walked back out the door.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alphas were not always the best at comforting, especially when their own anger throbbed so visibly within them. The two Avengers were livid and could barely contain the biting words that threatened to spill from their lips when they saw her. It was an automatic response, to care for those weaker, ones who were important, and she was. Their inner alphas were screaming at them to tear them apart, as Bruce had only shown himself as being an incompetent mate for June. But that wouldn’t do anyone any good, so they left.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky lingered in the doorway, not wanting to leave the alpha alone with his, no doubt, crushing emotions. But feeling the need to escape, to hug his own mate and seek much needed comfort after seeing a future pack member in such a state. That’s what she was, what she was going to be, Bruce and Natasha’s final piece and the last member of their pack.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d nearly turned away from Bruce until he heard him begin to cry, face still set into one of deep self-hatred, his lips turned down so harshly they seemed stuck. He’d finally sunk into the chair situated right next to her bedside and was carefully touching her hand with the tips of his fingers, as if she would shatter at too rough a handling. The tears flooded from his eyes and he let them fall, barely breathing as the alpha fell apart in front of him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know I can feel it,” Bruce said softly, voice breaking with every word. “That emptiness that I’d always tried to fill, it’s full now.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky, the hardened war veteran that he was, had to turn away from the sight in front of him and nearly whined in distress at the display. He could feel Steve’s immediate jolt of worry and wave of comfort that flooded into the bond, but it did little to soothe the heart ache he now felt. He felt sick, looking at June in such a state. He’d seen the picture of her from the email, the cheery joy she must have felt at the prospect of finding her soulmates. It must had worn her down, over the years, stolen the happiness and hope away from her little by little until she just couldn’t take it anymore.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that thought the beta couldn’t help the flood of sadness that soaked his form, making Steve drop what he was doing immediately and move to return and soothe his mate. It was too much.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did this to her,” he whispered. It was very like Bruce to take all the blame, even if it hadn’t been solely his fault, or his fault at all. Throughout the whole ordeal he hadn’t blamed Nat, though she was just as much to at fault, he took it all upon himself.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bruce,” Bucky wasn’t sure what to say. He could feel Steve getting nearer to him as he became more flustered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll never forgive myself for this,” the alpha said in a defeated voice. Finally turning to look at them again Bucky saw that he had switched to slowly stroking the girl's small hand with his thumb. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce didn’t say much after that, even when questioned his answers were short and clipped as he stayed glued to his soulmate's side. Taking all the bitter and resentful glances his way in stride as they moved her back to their plane. None of them could imagine what was going through his head, and could only guess from the utterly defeated expression on his face.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s still weak, she’ll need fluids, might not wake up for a couple more days. The bond is weak, spend time with her, scent her as much as you can, it’ll take a while before she’s well again,” Steve explained as they arrived back at the tower.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The doctor had been very reluctant to release her into their care, even if she did recognize them as being the Avengers, the poisonous look in her eyes said everything she was feeling without words. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What gives you the right? To treat anyone like this?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Unfortunately, it was common for them to find thirds in such a state, because most </span>
  <span>soulbonds</span>
  <span> consisted of two, not three. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell Nat,” Bruce muttered as the rear door opened to reveal a furious Natasha and sympathetic Pepper. His mate looked livid until her gaze found June and softened within a split second, her eyes widening as she took in his expression and tried to put the pieces together on her own.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t call,” her expressions began to resemble what Bruce’s had been earlier.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They had to pump her stomach,” his voice was emotionless. “I have to go,” he grunted, speaking again before Natasha could say anything. “I’m sorry, I can’t hold him back anymore,” his voice became strained as he moved away from them all. Moving as quickly as he could towards the open hangar door behind them as his body began to grow.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bruce,” she called out to him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>An angry green face turned to meet her eyes instead as he finished his transformation and roared at them before jerking suddenly to look at the limp girl. His hardened eyes seemed to soften for a moment before he growled and jumped from the building. A very small part of her wanted to run over and watch him go, but it was quickly squashed by the overwhelming need to stay exactly where she was. If she left her third now, to go towards anything else, she might as well throw herself off the building as well.</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I usually give all my stories a single read through for any major spelling errors or mistakes, but if I miss any, sorry in advance/hindsight. If I spend too long editing I end up re-writing everything and it's uggghhh.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I’m glad you got to her in time,” a familiar voice said softly. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tony had summoned the same bond doctor as before, saying it was urgent and he’d be paid for any appointments that might have been canceled because of it. The beta had been told little detail about the situation and couldn’t help the small bit of anguish that crossed his features at the state of the third on the bed. He masked it quickly with his </span>
  <span>ever indifferent</span>
  <span> smile that he’d perfected over the years.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha was sitting next to the bed on the girls left, her face pale and hardened into an expression of anxiety, Bruce had yet to return after jumping out of the building.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Barely,” the alpha whispered. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her hand rested carefully on her mates, slowly stroking the skin down to her fingertips and then back up again. She’d spent the last hour cursing herself for what had happened to the girl, a searing rage settled itself into the pit of her stomach, they had done this to her. That smile that used to exist on June’s face had been completely wiped out with her will to even exist and Natasha wanted to scream. To rip herself apart, anything to redirect the absolute being of guilt and disdain that she had become and thought of herself as.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Being in the same room as the girl slotted something into place within her, filling, for the first time, the emptiness that had been following her and Bruce since they met. Just being next to her made Natasha feel warm and comfortable, although it soured when combined with the sickly scent that surrounded her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone could tell, just by looking at June, that she hadn’t taken care of herself in a long time. Pepper, who was more sensitive than the rest of them, nearly started crying just at the sight of the poor girl who could be considered family. Making Tony hug his mate quickly, blocking June from view and rubbing calming circles on her bonding gland until she stopped shaking. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you tell me how it felt?” The beta, Dr. Cander, asked calmly. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After Bruce and the rest of them left Pepper had moved her to a couch as her legs had started to shake and tre</span>
  <span>mble with the constant assault of throbbing pain that permeated the bond. She couldn’t feel her alpha mate anymore and any attempt towards him had been met with agony, as if someone had started to rip into her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was unlike anything she’d ever felt before, even getting shot or cut couldn’t be compared with what she had been feeling. At one point, while she was gasping and close to tears it started to fade. Slowly until she could finally feel Bruce through the bond again, though his emotions were in such a twist of bitter resentment and sorrow it was dizzying.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If the pressure before, when June had been unconsciously speaking to them through the bond, had been like someone pressing on their stomachs. The time that she had been on the couch was someone standing on her neck, crushing into her organs and tearing them apart. Painful and terrifying.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Only a few hours had passed since then yet it already felt like a much longer with how the minutes stretched on as Natasha looked over the pitiful state of their third. She wished Bruce hadn’t jumped away, that he had been there for her while she looked over June and began to pick herself apart. They should've done something about it sooner, gone to the doctor sooner, tried to contact her sooner, and put their marks in the fucking system!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The pain, Dr. Cander explained, came from the force of their bond beginning to dissolve. From the time June had decided to swallow the pills and let herself be torn away from them to when they pumped her stomach. Once she was safe, and finally in the presence of one of her mates with Bruce there, the agony lessened in relief.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tentatively, Natasha reached out to June’s face, her fingers barely brushing the side of her cheek before pulling away with a soft hiss. Did she even deserve to touch her anymore?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do it,” Dr. Cander snapped softly. “Touch her.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t </span>
  <span>deser</span>
  <span>-,” he cut her off.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t, I agree, but it doesn’t matter. When she wakes up, she’s going to push you away and reject you, curse you, bite you, probably try to run away. She’ll do everything she can to escape you now that she’s decided to give up on the bond.” He said, leveling Natasha with a glare. “If you want to save her, save your bond, you have to be around her, if she’s the kind that needs a nest make her one covered in your own scents. Get her used to it until she seeks you out unconsciously.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What if she doesn’t?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s going to be hard,” the beta muttered. “Be careful, don’t push her too much, but be persistent. Don’t give up on her again,” his looked at her coldly. “I’ll give you some information about ways to get started if you’d like?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, thank you,” she said. Truly grateful that he had come over so quickly to assess the situation, explain things to her, and not hold anything back in his tone and expression. It was what she needed at the moment. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He left ten minutes later, after handing Natasha some pamphlets about thirds and websites she could go to with more tips and advice. She was instructed to call him once June was awake enough to talk to someone who might be able to help her. He wanted to assist the poor girl as much as he could.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When Bruce returned, a couple hours later, his alpha mate set him with a strained expression that was slightly ticked off as he quietly walked into the room. He looked disheveled, which was expected after letting loose into the city for a few hours as the other guy. Natasha understood his need to leave but was still angry that he couldn’t have put it off until they had gotten her settled, he had her go through it all alone.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you better now?” She snapped at him softly. A bit of loud noise probably wouldn’t wake the sleeping girl between them, not after what she had been through, but the red-haired alpha couldn’t bring herself to make any noise above a whisper.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do we have to do this?” He sighed. A tired and defeated expression met her eyes.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You left me,” she hissed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>He,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Bruce explained referring to the green beast inside him. “Was going to grab her, scent her, maybe even mark her,” he groaned lowly. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What? I thought you had control of your transformation now,” she muttered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I did, I do,” he said. “But seeing her,” he looked to June slowly. “He nearly pushed himself out at the hospital. The way they looked at us when we said her name,” he hesitated. “Like we were the ones who tried to kill her,” his face scrunched up painfully.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It was us,” Natasha growled, her voice getting louder.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You think I don’t know?” He snarled at her. A flash of hurt crossed her features for a second, the open display of disdain he’d shown, cut quickly into the bond. “It’s all I can think about. That she was in pain, that she was suffering alone for all those years that we had each other. Telling ourselves that we could make it work, keeping her away,” he ranted his voice rising in volume even more.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We didn’t know,” Natasha tried to soothe him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But what about those two months that we could hear her,” his voice trembled. His mate looked away from him then, she’d been thinking about the same things, blaming herself over and over again for the state their third was in. “She was crying, and in pain, and we did nothing.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t deny his words. Like all the years they’d been trying to make it work they had again looked to each other, wondering if the feelings had been coming from one of them without even asking. Without meaning to, they’d pushed themselves ahead when all they had to do was ask, could’ve even put their marks into the system from their phones. The female alpha jerked to look suddenly at her mate when the salty smell of tears drifted into the space around them. He was shaking with bitterness, hardened eyes watering at the sides as he stared down at the girl on the bed between them. Natasha rushed to him quickly, taking his face in her hands and brushing the liquid away as it leaked out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” she started off softly again. “We’ll spend the rest of our lives making up for it.” Bruce shook his head, trying to break free from her grasp but she hugged him instead. “She’ll never want for anything.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What if she doesn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> us?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll take it slow and court her,” she brushed his lips with her thumb slowly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I myself,” Tony cut into their conversation. He stood in the doorway with a grim smile on his face. “Am planning on spoiling her rotten.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s our job,” Natasha hissed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Too bad, just called it,” he sneered at them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tony-,” Bruce groaned but the other alpha cut him off.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll stay with her, you two need to get things with your scent on them to put around her. Clothes, blankets, pillows, even the ones you’re wearing. I’ve already looked everything up, Dr. Cander referred me to a few more websites, I called some other specialists as well,” he said while walking into the room. “Getting her used to your scents before she wakes up will help her accept you faster, or at least hate you a little less. When she’s woken up Pepper will give her a bath using your shampoo, that will also help,” he explained. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“To-,” he cut off Natasha this time.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She’ll probably reject you once she wakes up, it’s not the best, or most preferred method, but you can put her in a sort of subspace by pinching the mating gland. This would only be for intensely emotional reactions where she is in danger of hurting herself. It should only be done by either of you, never anyone else. Thirds are weak to strong, emotional, scents. It’ll be tiring, and annoying for the rest of us, but you’ll need to assault her with your pheromones.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll-,”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Steve and Bucky are going to help you guys as much as they can. She might be more comfortable talking to them, or even me, so we’ll learn what she likes and dislikes and tell you. If she wants to leave, tell her that because of what she did to herself she would be put into a disturbed third and omega hospital for at least a year. I’m not lying about that, they’ll try to ‘reform’ her-,”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tony,” Bruce pulled himself out of his mates' arms to stand in front of the man. When it came to a new mission or information about an organization for work Tony could often be a dump truck of almost worthless knowledge that they only needed a few words from. It was one of the few times the two alphas were grateful for all the research he’d done. “Thank you, and please tell us everything.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“When you get back,” Tony nodded before motioning towards the door.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The two alphas left their third at a quick pace, leaving their friend to walk around the bed and sink slowly into the empty chair next to it. Even though the girl wasn’t awake she was already having an effect on her mates who had moved to comfort each other after lashing out angrily. A fight with that much anger usually amounted to a day or two of avoidance before they tentatively made up and promised to do better. Yet, merely because they were in the same room as their third, the disregard they usually displayed was cut back as they now had something, someone, to protect together.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After the events of Loki passed and they decided to stay together with him, Pepper, Steve, and Bucky as a pack, it had been somewhat of a rough going. The dominant, powerful, pheromones and behaviors that they both showcased often clashed against each other with little to no comfort in between. They all thought it would work itself out eventually, after they’d gotten used to each other, but it didn’t. At times, their fighting even influenced the rest of the pack. If only they’d known about June a little sooner, or at the beginning even!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All they could do now, as a trio, as a pack, was create a place June would think of as home, as family. A job they would all gladly accept.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her mates returned with far more than what Tony had thought they would bring. All the pillows from their bed, the comforter, the sheets, clothes that probably needed to be washed, a jacket, some of Bruce’s clean clothes, and, for some reason, winter hats. He scolded them but couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out as they dropped things on the floor while trying to see what would work best.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He’d only accepted the comforter, pillows, and clean clothes and worked with his pack-mates carefully to put them under the girl's head and tuck her in as best they could. While they were working Steve showed up with a couple stuffed fox plushies, one of them the usual orange coloration while the other was a pure white. They were both incredibly soft and the other alpha handed, one each, to Bruce and Natasha with the instruction to sleep with and </span>
  <span>scent</span>
  <span> them before giving them to June.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>According to her soul mark matching profile they were her favorite animal, hopefully that bit of information had not changed. Everyone in the pack had read over the information more than a few times and couldn’t help but roll her answers around in their heads, looking for ways to help.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Here’s a mattress from one of the guest rooms for you guys to sleep on for the night,” Steve Bucky muttered while heaving the thing into the room. “Once she’s a little healthier you can move her to your room.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll try to keep you out of missions until she’s better,” Tony cast a glance at the girl as he mentioned her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Most of the rest of the day was spent listening to the other alpha spew information at them, until Pepper took him away. Leaving Bruce and Natasha to read up on other websites by themselves, sharing useful information as they came across it and how it might help or harm their relationship with June. One of them was always in the room at the girl's bedside, alternating between rubbing her hands softly and holding it. While the other went to get food or finish up whatever they had been working on before, tying up all the loose ends and such. One of them making sure that they were always carrying one of the foxes. Bruce had been given the white and Natasha the orange.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sleep did not come easy to them that night, finally the choking pressure was gone and they could breathe but not rest. Not while their third lay limp and quiet in front of them. Only a couple hours could be won as they clutched the stuffed animals tightly against themselves, thinking of a time when she might hug them herself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She did not stir the following day, nor in the morning of the next as they looked over her with growing self-hatred and remorse. Tony was constantly pushing them to be more affectionate than holding her hand, or tucking the plush toys beneath her arms and beside her in the blankets. Finally, when they relented, both of them kissed her softly on the forehead, careful to brush any loose hair out of the way and behind her ears. Bruce lingered a little longer, chiding himself until June made a soft sound in her sleep and moved her head towards him slightly.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Their reaction happened instantaneously, Bruce nearly teared up and moved his hand to gently cup her face while his other mate smiled painfully. June nuzzled into his palm a tiny bit more and made the man mirror Natasha’s expression, she was their last piece, the perfect match to both of them, and at the moment they felt it. Her small movement towards them and the warmth of her skin on his hand filled him with hope and the red-haired alpha could feel it through the bond.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My turn,” she said, wanting to be nuzzled as well.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span> He didn’t want to retract his hand but Natasha should be able to feel the same way he did, so he pulled back. The girl below them moved a little, as if to follow, until her other alpha brushed her palm over the third’s forehead before carefully brushing her thumb over her the features of her face, bringing the scent gland on her wrist right over the girl's nose. Another soft sound left her body and Bruce almost rumbled back encouragingly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why I told you to touch her,” Tony said, appearing in the doorway for a second. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce turned to look at him, only to see the triumphant smirk on his packmates face at having been right all along. He was holding a bag of food; the couple had spent almost all of their time in the room with June and had even been neglecting to eat as they waited for her to wake. He set it on the side table just inside the door.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks Tony,” Natasha said softly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d enjoy your little touches and pets as much as you can right now, because I’m pretty sure she’s not going to want them once she wakes up,” the man muttered. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll deal with it when get there,” Bruce nodded.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to run, honestly,” he said, getting the two alphas to look at him with a glare. “Kidding,” he chuckled before walking away. He waited a few moments, until he was out of hearing range before he spoke again. “Jarvis.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sir?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Our kit isn’t allowed outside without permission, no elevator access,” he stated.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The, usually iron clad, alpha had done a lot of research the past couple days while the rest of his pack had been fussing and worrying about the little third, he’d been preparing himself. There were videos and articles and studies done on thirds rejecting bonds, some legal others not so much, he made note to destroy the illegal ones later. Everything he’d found, that was relevant, he’d share with Bruce because he would certainly need it with what was coming his way.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When June finally woke up, and was coherent enough to make her own thoughts and decisions, she would do everything she could to get away from them. Any time she spent near them would heal the bond that she didn’t want, and she’d already wake up at a disadvantage as it had started to mend while she slept. She would curse them, cry, try to hurt herself, and them, anything to escape what they were trying to do. It wasn’t going to be easy. They’d have to be forceful, mean even, if they wanted her to accept them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony was prepared to offer assistance, to comfort her if she needed it. Any lingering scent of her mates on his form would help to heal the bond as well, and it’d be harder for the girl to figure out because of all the different scents. He’d also inform Steve and Bucky of everything, the more people that were aware of what was going to be happening in the coming weeks the better.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June started to move more on the bed throughout the day, shifting to grab one of the plush foxes and hold it against her chest as she moved slowly to lean on her side. It was the white one, covered in Bruce’s scent, which made Natasha try to move hers into the girls hold as well, not wanting to be left out.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She opened her eyes blearily for a few moments showing off the mismatched gaze given to her by her two mates who held their breath as her unfocused gaze drifted away from them. It was only a matter of ten seconds or so but Bruce and Natasha couldn’t help the joy that washed over them at seeing her open her eyes.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The second time she woke up it lasted for a few minutes with only Natasha in the room as Bruce had stepped out to talk to Tony. She’d curled more into the comforter that smelled of her mates, humming slightly at the warmth it offered her as she rubbed her face against the plushies that were clutched in her hands. Whispering something softly that her alpha had barely been able to hear over the volume of the machines in the room.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Smells good,” the girl slurred before she was back asleep. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce was jealous after that and refused to leave the room for anything else, they wanted to be the first ones to speak to her when she finally woke up enough to talk to them. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A quizzical and tired expression settled into June’s eyes the third time she woke up, this time put together enough to look around the room and take in where she was with a groan. A female alpha was sitting next to her while another sat in the corner, looking at something on his laptop, which he shed as soon as she glanced at him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June didn’t know who the two people in the room were but it was clear that she had survived to see another day, which was the last thing she wanted after the events of that night. She shouldn’t be here, not laying down in a hospital bed, connected to tubes and machines, she shouldn’t be anywhere for that matter. With a small whimper she pushed herself to sit up, one thought racing through her mind over and over again as the two people moved to stop her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t move yet, you’ve been asleep for a few days,” the red-haired lady tried to soothe her, releasing calming pheromones. They smelled nice, and if June wasn’t so wrapped up in her thought’s she might’ve reacted differently, but she snapped instead.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t touch me,” she snarled. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her discolored gaze hardened into a bitter glare that made the woman flinch and take a tentative step backwards. Mustering some, or perhaps all, of her strength June dragged her legs over to the side of the bed, ignoring everything that went tumbling down to the floor. Her body was aching and heavy as she moved, and the world seemed to spin but she persisted, intent on keeping herself from healing or recovering. In front of her was another person she didn’t know, a man that was doing his best to exude comfort and peace. It pulled at her emotions but she didn’t waver, body fueled by adrenaline as she forced herself off the bed, onto shaky legs that crumbled beneath her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve got you,” he caught her by the shoulder before she was pressed against his chest. June growled against him, working tired arms towards his body as she pushed against him, his scent rallying against her as she struggled. “You’re not strong eno-,” she cut him off.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fucking let go,” she seethed before something clicked into place within her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stilled in his arms for a moment, enough for him to foolishly loosen his hold as she realized why he smelled so good. Why his words had pulled at her like none had pulled at her before and why for the first time, since she’d presented, or even since she’d been born. Why she finally felt like this was where she belonged and who she belonged to. Her eyes widened as the thought filtered through her brain, trying to force out everything but the warmth she felt being against him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“June we’re your mat-,” the man tried to say but she keened loudly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The noise filled the room immediately, making the two alphas wince and pull the rest of the pack towards the room frantically, Steve was the first one to appear in the doorway for support. June had wretched herself away from Bruce and fallen to the floor with her hands covering her ears as Bruce tried to calm her. The wail dispersed into words as she repeated herself over and over again.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re okay,” Natasha hushed her softly, but June persisted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go away! Go away!” She shouted, her voice shaking and wavering with strain. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Too much was happening as soon as she woke up, the red-haired alpha wasn’t sure what to do and tried to recall all the information she’d been given by Dr. Cander. Yet at the moment the only thing that came to mind was getting the third to stop.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>
    <span>Quiet down!</span>
  </b>
  <span>” Natasha snapped, using her alpha voice without meaning to. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d been expecting it to be rough, maybe some tears and June telling them that she hated them or how she still wanted to die, but not this. She didn’t want to be touched by them, pushed herself to the floor to get away from them, and even let out such a desperate, heart wrenching </span>
  <span>sound. As</span>
  <span> if they were torturing her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the alpha command Bruce jerked to look at his mate sternly for how she had tried to use it. The strong, commanding, voice was meant for discipline, to get an omega or beta to carefully submit, or an alpha to listen, not for one clearly in distress. Natasha’s expression displayed her regret at the usage, below them their mate had definitely gotten softer, but not stopped in the slightest.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go away,” she cried, moving her hands to block her face.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“June,” Natasha started but her mate shook his head.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t need you,” she moved closer to the ground, adrenaline seeping out of her tired body. “I don’t want you; I don’t want you; I don’t need you,” the third started to breathe heavily as she exhausted herself. Panting gasps turning erratic as she tried to talk between them. “Go away, go away,” she repeated.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce moved slowly, while June was distracted and could scarcely hear him over her own mantra, to hold the side of her face like they’d done during her slumber. He hoped the scent gland on his wrist would help relax her as she scented him but the opposite seemed to happen instead. As soon as his fingers made contact with her cheek she jerked backwards, slamming her head into the metal bed frame behind her. The three alphas winced at the action as the third whimpered before looking up at her alpha, eyes finding his worried gaze with a mismatched stare full of hurt and hate.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should probably go,” Bucky joined his mate in the doorway and motioned for them to leave. June seemed to be getting worse the longer they were in the room, her body heaving rapidly as she started to whine softly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Steve we just,” Natasha let her words fall away as she looked at Bruce. He looked defeated, but sighed deeply before nodding at her solemnly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll take care of her,” Steve assured them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce waited for Natasha to join him at his side before hugging her body with one of his arms and pulling her out of the room, but not before taking one last look at their third. June was looking at them, her chest still taking short, frantic, breaths as her face twisted into an expression of despair as her scent flooded into the room. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not supposed to be here,” she whispered before sinking into the floor.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her soulmates jerked back towards her immediately, carefully lifting her limp body from the floor while checking her head to make sure it wasn’t bleeding or injured from when she’d moved away from him. Holding her in his arms Bruce scented her as best he could, trying to get rid of the bitter pheromones that still seeped from her body </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha was more tentative, still feeling guilty for using her alpha voice on the girl when she was frustrated instead of trying to soothe her calmly. She’d been too hasty, wanting to immediately treat her like other people treated their omegas and pamper her while at the same time expecting her to listen. Instead of touching June, like her inner alpha was pushing her to do, the red head picked up Bruce’s white fox and put it on the </span>
  <span>girl's</span>
  <span> limp arms.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think it’d be best if you weren’t here the next time she woke up,” Steve said as they situated her back into the bed.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“We should be the only people in her room,” Natasha snapped at the same time that her mate growled at her lowly. Surprised by his behavior towards her the red-haired alpha looked at him suspiciously, confusion settling in her eyes as she tried to figure out what he was thinking. “She needs us,” she snarled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She hates us right now,” Bruce said softly. “You saw, Nat, she hurt herself to get away from me, from us.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s confused,” the female alpha seethed. Her inner alpha was convinced that all their third needed was some time to recover, the she would submit to them once she saw that they belonged together, but Bruce knew better to ignore his inner voice.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, she isn’t,” he leveled her with a determined stare. His voice was kind, but he wanted her to feel the weight behind his words. “She hates us because we tried to cut her out of the bond.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We didn’t know!” Natasha bared her fangs as if Bruce was attacking her. He nodded at her sadly, but kept his stance, this was still their fault.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t working between us, we both knew and so did she, but we still never looked for her,” he muttered and his mate rumbled in anger. A common emotion between the two of them since they found out June existed and had been waiting for them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn it!” She hissed. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was true, she’d wondered many times throughout the years if it had something to do with how she was raised, and if she failed as a mate. The possibility of them having a third never even popped up in her mind, that there could be some easy fix or that she could be lucky enough to not only have one mate but a second one as well. They didn’t deserve </span>
  <span>June;</span>
  <span> she didn’t deserve June.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She gave up Nat, on the bond, on waiting, on us,” he said while letting out a soothing scent. “And I don’t blame her.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He’d barely started watching some of the video’s Tony had sent him, where thirds had completely rejected their soulmates after deciding to give up on the bond, just as June had done. Giving them too much space ran the risk of the recovering mate feeling dejected, which was the last thing they needed. It would be hard, but forceful was the best way to go about it. After letting the rest of the pack explain everything to June It’d be time for them to show her some, much needed, tough love.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll take care of her,” Bucky insisted. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go prepare ourselves, it’s not going to be easy,” Bruce said, taking her hand carefully. She let their fingers thread between each other and allowed herself to be pulled from the room slowly, glancing back at June with a forlorn expression.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With the two alphas gone Steve and Bucky finished tucking the girl back into her bed and checked again to make sure that she hadn’t hurt her head in her haste to get away from her alpha. She was younger than all of them in the tower and they couldn’t help but feel protective of the girl who was the newest member of their pack. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Their own soul marks had appeared when they were young and they’d known from childhood that they were meant to be together. There was no need for either of them to put their marks into the system, the bond always felt whole and solid, only faltering for the years that they had been apart. Seeing Natasha and Bruce fight with each other all the time had made them wonder about their compatibility, the mark matched but their words didn’t. They should’ve known better. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Steve couldn’t help but feel partly responsible, as a packmate he should’ve been able to tell that something was missing, that she was missing. Looking down at June, the alpha felt a great deal of responsibility settle itself into his gut.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel the same way,” Bucky said, interrupting his thoughts.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Pepper was there the next time June woke up fully, the kind beta flooded the room immediately with a calm, soothing scent that the girl couldn’t help but react to. The third looked wildly around the room for her mates, expecting them to be hiding out somewhere before realizing their smell was coming from the blankets. She pushed the comforter off the bed quickly, along with whatever else carried their scent which included two stuffed foxes, a couple pillows, and some clothes. This left her in the thin hospital gown she had gotten the night they found her, with only a thin sheet to cover her. The beta explained that some people, including her mate, would soon be in to talk to her and if she wanted to take a bath before then she could do so. June didn’t care and told Pepper to bring them in whenever. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She watched the people come into her room with a tired glare, noticing the small glance they made towards her discarded blankets and clothes on the floor. One of them, an alpha with neatly trimmed facial hair, sat next to Pepper and smiled at her before his gaze fell on June, he looked familiar for some reason. There was another beta, a strong tower of a man with shoulder length brown hair, followed by another tall and built man with short blonde hair. She recognized them, by their scent, as the ones who had been there the last time she woke.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to be here,” June said before they had finished settling. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, we know,” Tony chuckled, which earned a glare from the girl.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want them,” she snapped. “My mates.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Tony Stark,” he said, ignoring her. “This is my </span>
  <span>tower;</span>
  <span> we are your new </span>
  <span>pack.</span>
  <span>”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Iron man?” June wondered aloud but held her disdain in her eyes.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“My name is Steve Rogers and my mate, Bucky Barnes,” the blonde alpha said, motioning towards the other beta. Pepper had already introduced herself when June had first woken up, and suddenly everything clicked into place.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re-,” June finished for Tony.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The Avengers,” she said breathlessly, her face betraying her shock.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Your mates are Black Widow and the Hulk,” Tony said, sounding quite proud of his packmates. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June had started to breathe shakily, eyes wide and somewhat tears as she looked at them before setting her gaze on the bed beneath her instead. Steve started releasing calming pheromones at the first sign of discomfort from the girl, though she seemed to resist. It didn’t change anything, she’d waited years for them to come, to match with her and they never did.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want them,” she hissed. “Send me home,” she muttered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t do that,” Tony scoffed. He was doing his best to keep the conversation light without antagonizing her too much, though Bucky had begun to stare him down so he must not be doing a very good job.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t keep me here,” her hands balled into fists with her rising panic.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If we let you go the police are going to take you into custody and admit you to a rehabilitation clinic for thirds and omegas,” Steve explained with an apologetic smile. “They can keep you for up to a year until you prove that you’re okay by yourself, or reconcile with your mates. Sometimes a claim mark is forced, if it is determined that the patient will not be safe once released.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” She whispered, the words sinking in slowly. She felt cold all at once, unknowingly sending out a distress signal that her mates couldn’t help but react to three floors down.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You can stay here, with us, with your mates, or go there,” Bucky spoke for the first time since entering.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“At this facility you’re not allowed out of your room for the first month, then you’re assigned a guard who will watch your every move, if they think you’re acting out, its back to your room. Your soul mates are allowed to visit you whenever they want, when they are not present you will be dressed in their clothes.” Tony explained. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was exaggerating a little, but June didn’t need to know that, if the third had been worried before now she was a mess of nerves and distress. It was taking a lot of effort from all of them to not comfort her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not fair,” she complained, voice nearly a whimper.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If you show improvement and are well behaved, you’ll have access to more activities but they’ll never let you go outside.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Staying here,” Pepper started, her voice soft and soothing. “You’ll have us, we want to take care of you. Your mates,” June growled lowly at the mention of them. “Can’t wait to spend time with you. You can go outside, you’ll still have freedom, and we won’t put you on any medication that they would in the facility.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need anyone to take care of me,” June glowered. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She’d been on her own since she was eighteen, after her parents could no longer comfort her and didn’t know what to do to help. A friend had helped her for a while before finding her own soul mate and moving away, and June had been left alone. She’d long convinced herself it was better that way.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Clearly,” Tony muttered, earning a shove from his mate. “But you have to pick, here, or there?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the catch to staying here?” The third muttered. Her question made Tony want to grin at how perceptive she was, here was a girl who wouldn’t get pushed around easily.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Your mates,” he touched the word as her gaze darkened. “Want to heal the bond and will be taking certain measures to ensure that will happen. You can fight them all you want; we’re not going to be involved with that part at all.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How long do I have to stay here?” She asked.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her options were kind of bleak. On one hand the rehabilitation facility would be void of the Avengers, her proclaimed packmates, but once there she would probably be drugged and forced to eventually mate with her alphas. Her freedom would be nonexistent, and she would not escape spending time with the people she hated most. While staying with the Avengers she could move around, there would be people to talk to and she wouldn’t have to earn anything. The downside being that her mates would be, more or less, set loose on her, although the permission to fight back was a plus.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Six months,” Pepper answered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck,” June said under her breath.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tony couldn’t help but glance at Steve at the muttered curse word, the other alpha was already frowning a little, there had been a lot of swearing the past handful of days and he was nearing his limit. He didn’t like any of them using the words, although they usually got away with it in private, saying it right in front of him earned a quick spank, pinch, or jab to the ribs for discipline. He was old fashioned, but his pack had gotten used to it, June would as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” she muttered. “I’ll stay here.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>More freedom meant more chances for things to go wrong, or right, in her case. Just because she agreed to stay here didn’t mean she would comply with everything they wanted. She didn’t care about being part of a pack, she didn’t want to be part of anything.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Great,” Steve beamed. “Let me tell you our pack rules,” he started, making the third groan. She leaned back dramatically, feeling dumb for not remembering that most packs had guidelines set up to keep everything going smoothly. It would certainly make it harder for her to do what she wanted depending on what they were.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What happens if I break a rule?” She signed in defeat, making Tony and Pepper look at each other with a chuckle. Bucky offered her a sympathetic expression that she frowned at in return.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Depends on which one it is, the smaller ones can be given by anyone and are a quick pinch, spank, or jab,” the blond alpha explained. June leveled him with a look of discontent that he grinned cheerfully at, he was usually the one that kept everyone else in line. “More severe ones are given by mates and are changed from person to person but can range from a forced subspace to scent removal for a day or two.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The first one didn’t sound bad at all, growing up with wild siblings and cousins meant lots of pinches and jabs usually followed by a spanking from her father for breaking things or causing trouble. Those she could handle, but the others gave her pause, she’d only been forced into subspace a couple times, both unpleasant but necessary. Done right the beta, omega, or third, would be cuddled and comforted for the duration, as a punishment June could only imagine that she would be left alone instead, which didn’t sound appealing in the slightest. Scent removal was usually done after one was assaulted by an unwanted alpha, leaving the person with a clean slate and extremely vulnerable. Not something she ever wanted to </span>
  <span>experience;</span>
  <span> she’d have to be careful going forward.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems harsh, but okay. What are the rules?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With everything said and done they took her to a separate room near the hospital wing, which was its own floor of the building. There were areas for physical therapy, x-ray machines, scanners, and any other number of medical machines that June couldn’t even name. She’d been in one of the ten intensive care beds, but was now being moved to one of the more comfortable, private rooms, with a plush bed and enough room to make a nest. There was a closet and attached bathroom with a large tub, which was where they had left her to wash herself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Pepper had volunteered to help but she insisted and growled about wanting to do it alone. She was then instructed to call out for Jarvis if she needed help with something, the disembodied voice, which had made June visibly startle, was always a word away. Sitting in the bath she had time to think over the rules and how she could get around them, there weren’t that many, but the first one would be hard to shake. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No swearing</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She, at times, had a mouth like a sailor.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Be respectful</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That one shouldn’t be too </span>
  <span>hard;</span>
  <span> June was planning on ignoring them anyway.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Clean up after yourself</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She wondered how clean they expected the place to be all the time.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Do not put yourself or any other packmate in danger</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That one made her cringe, because she didn’t really care about what happened to her at that point, she’d stopped caring a long time ago. Too intent on chasing things that would fill the emptiness, usually it was pain. Yet, now that she had time to consider it, since waking up here the hole in her being had already been filled by something else. It should’ve been an utter relief but June only felt a bubble of panic instead, it was because of her mates.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Be honest.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Another groan for the girl. Over the years she’d gotten so used to lying and telling everyone she was okay when she felt like dying that it had become second nature to her. Nine times out of ten when someone asked how she was doing they really just wanted to talk about themselves, they didn’t care about her, and why should they? No, it was much easier to lie.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ask for Help.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Which Steve explained a little further after looking at her somewhat confused face. Unfortunately, the pack was comprised of people who were stubbornly independent and would push themselves too far in order to get something done. When they could’ve easily gotten help from someone and finished without too much of a hassle, which was another sore spot for June. She’d lived alone for a while now, and even when she’d lived at home, she did everything by herself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The water around her started to cool as she contemplated her decision to stay. Every pack had rules, even her parents had had them when she was growing up. Had they ever followed them? No, not really. It made for an unstable home, at times, and though her mother and father had done their best despite her differences she still fell through the cracks. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With shaking hands, she turned the hot water back on, letting it fill the tub until it licked at her legs, scalding her with its intensity. Two or three of those rules she could follow, and as for the others she’d try her best to get around them. They didn’t know her; they’d have no idea if she was being genuine or not.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Warm bath water began to lull June to sleep after she’d washed and for a moment she wondered how the Avengers would react if they came back to her completely submerged in the water. Had they thought that far ahead?  Did they think about how many things she could still do to end her life in the bathroom? She glanced slowly over at the sink and imagined bottles of pills that would allow her to slip away again before a voice startled her back awake.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you require assistance getting out of the bath, little kit?” The strangely human voice of Jarvis made his presence known.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No-,” her voice was shaky and soft. “No, I’m fine,” she said again, more firmly this time. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fact that there was, more or less, an invisible person capable of keeping tabs on her at any moment made her skin crawl. Any chance she might’ve had for continuing her plans were a great deal more hindered by the disembodied voice.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mrs. Potts has left some clothes for you on the bed, they are working on getting you more for your continued stay here,” Jarvis explained. His voice filling up the empty space in the bathroom as if he was standing right beside the tub.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Wait,” she muttered, his first question ringing in her ears. “Did you call me, kit?” Where in the world had he gotten such a name from, was it short for kitten or something? June wanted to gag at the pet name and couldn’t help but bristle as she thought of who had made it up for her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Stark set it for you, named after a fox pup.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great,” June muttered. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d barely agreed to stay and the man had already set up a nickname for her and he wasn’t even one of her mates! Of the four people she’d spoken to in the other room Tony seemed like he was going to be the most trouble. This was his tower, and he seemed to be one of those cocky </span>
  <span>alphas</span>
  <span> who put his nose into everything with little to no care about what the other person thought about it. The others, Pepper, Steve, and Bucky, June was sure it would be somewhat easier to avoid them, but the iron man was a wildcard.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was also the matter of what her mates were planning on doing with her, as she had, more or less, released them like a couple of hungry dogs and she was the meat! The plus side was that she could fight them, and fight she would.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Getting out of the tub took her longer than it should have, trembling arms and uncertain legs barely made it to a standing position as she fumbled with a towel. She could feel herself sway slightly on her feet while placing a hand on the wall to get steady before she attempted to move any further. After a few moments, with a determined yet bitter expression on her face, June pushed herself towards the bedroom. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first thing she noticed, now that she was alone, were the giant windows that looked out across the city. The glass went from floor to ceiling and took up the entire side of the room, the sun was setting, casting an orange light into the room. It was calming, and she couldn’t help but admire the view. Sinking onto the lush mattress made her breathe a sigh of relief before she looked over at the clothes with a frown, they smelled good, which could only mean one thing.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It made her angry all over again, because the others had said that they wouldn’t force her to dress in her mate's clothes, yet here they were. There was nothing else in the room for her to wear, except for the old hospital gown that she had stuffed into the trashcan as soon as she took it off. A large, soft grey, cotton t-shirt and baggy black sweatpants was what they left her. Even though she was angry June had never been someone who was comfortable with herself enough to be naked. The shirt would have to do.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce and Natasha were waiting for the rest of their pack in the elevator and couldn’t help but glower at the two alphas who eyed them skeptically before speaking.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s staying,” Tony grinned triumphantly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did you get her to say that she would?” Natasha held back a growl.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Some </span>
  <span>exaggeration</span>
  <span>,” his expression thinned to a smile.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Talked to her, just like we planned,” Steve cut him. “She didn’t seem very excited though.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can’t blame her,” Bucky muttered. “</span>
  <span>What's</span>
  <span> with your face?” The tall beta asked of them. Bruce had calmed down, figuring that June had merely been overwhelmed with trying to make the right choice while Nat was still on edge.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We felt her through the bond, she was a little upset,” Bruce explained while his mate bristled. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The first time we feel something from her and it’s distress,” the red-haired alpha grumbled. “What is she doing now?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before a claiming bite was made soulmates were only able to feel emotions that were strong and sharp. Usually, pain, intense sorrow, or fear, and in this case distress. The two alphas hadn’t been expecting it and had immediately lurched to their feet and fidgeted in the room until it faded away and drew them into the elevator.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Taking a bath,” Pepper answered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“By herself?” Natasha bit back.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what she wanted,” Steve said, trying to placate the atmosphere.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if she can’t do it by herself?” The fiery alpha countered, still riled up.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jarvis is watching her,” Tony assured her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Little kit is washing her hair,” the disembodied voice informed them. Making Tony shrug his shoulders and move to pat the shorter woman on the shoulder, but she brushed him off.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We left her the clothes you picked out the other night,” Steve added as they got to the kitchen and lounge level. There were separate areas on each floor for them to prepare food if they needed it, but this was the largest and where they usually gathered as a pack when they had time.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really, little kit?” Bucky asked, the more relaxed of the group.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like a fox pup,” Tony defended himself. “What?” He questioned at their glances. “It’s cute.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is,” Pepper assured her mate, squeezing his hand.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce walked out of the elevator before his mate, he was still on edge from the feeling of dread that had dropped in his stomach from June’s distress, but unlike his mate, he was thinking ahead. They’d discussed how to approach things with June, what they were going to do to heal the bond and what roles they would both </span>
  <span>play</span>
  <span>. They had decided that Nat would be the one to comfort and soothe, should June look for it, she would be the good cop to his bad.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was his job to grab and hold onto her no matter what she did or how she fought him, he would be stern and relentless, very much unlike his usual demeanor. Neither of them wanted such a role, but he’d volunteered, guilt still weighing heavily on him. He couldn’t stop seeing June in that hospital bed and was determined to make up for it, even if it meant starting off as the bad guy to make her better. The first step to getting her better was food.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you think she’d want to eat?” Bruce asked of them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We went out yesterday and got her some soup for the first couple days,” Steve said, gesturing towards his mate at the mention of ‘we’. “Easier to digest.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Natasha said softly, forcing herself to calm down slowly. “Once she’s </span>
  <span>adjusted,</span>
  <span> we’ll make her food from scratch.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As you should,” Tony muttered, rifling through the fridge for finger food. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was something alphas felt was necessary for taking care of their mates, being able to feed and provide for them was important. Natasha was more adamant about it than Bruce, as he spent the majority of his time in the lab, only eating when his mate forced him to do so or pulled him away from work. The urge to provide wasn’t as strong in couples with alphas or betas, Natasha had always wondered why she felt so strongly about it until now. Subconsciously, the bond and her inner alpha had always known about the third. Such a realization only intensified her regret.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her packmates had gotten fresh and boxed soup for the girl, a few containers of tomato, chicken noodle, and a carrot coup. The heartier ones were in carton like boxes that the red-haired alpha hoped they wouldn’t need. As soon as she knew what June liked she’d make her whatever she wanted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do a small bowl for now,” Bucky said to his packmates. They looked unsure of how much to give her and even which one to pick for that matter, it would’ve been funny in any other circumstance.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Toast is easy to digest, right?” Bruce questioned as his mate chose the carrot soup. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This should be fine, for now,” Natasha muttered. She then poured some soup into the bowl before moving over to the microwave.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is she out of the bath yet, Jarvis?” Tony asked of the </span>
  <span>ever-present</span>
  <span> machine.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s fallen asleep on the bed, sir.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was just as the red-haired alpha was about to punch in the timer, her fingers hesitating with the new information and questioning looks from her pack mates. Were they really going to go wake her up to force food she might not even want down her throat? On one hand she hadn’t eaten anything yet, but on the other no one seemed too keen on interrupting her sleep when it was just as important.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Damnit,” Natasha growled before she could stop herself. Steve’s eyes snapped to look at her with a glower as his lips pulled down into a frown. “Sorry,” she muttered to the man.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can force feed her in the morning,” Tony said while sinking into a chair. Bruce looked at him with a bland expression that the other alpha grinned at, never failing to try and bring humor to any situation. Though the rest of the pack would agree that it was a poor attempt. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Around three in the morning June jerked awake, her dreams a mess of happiness at her soulmates finally coming for her and of fear and hate for them only showing up after she’d given up. It wasn’t fair that now, after all the years that she’d been alone, they wanted her the way she’d always watched other people want their mates. She didn’t care that they felt complete with her in the picture, there was nothing in the world that she wanted anymore. Alone was what suited her best, there was no disappointment, everything that happened relied on her</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Someone had covered her with a blanket, one that smelled like a campfire, cinnamon, cloves, and pine, like the two alphas that were most likely aching to be holding her at the moment. It wasn’t that she didn’t like how they smelled, in fact the scent was very nostalgic and reminded her of better days. When she’d gone camping with her family as a child, running through the woods, and spiced winter drinks. It made her feel as if she was being wrapped in a warm hug and her inner mixture of secondary genders was begging her to bury her face in the blanket.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>But she didn’t and instead pushed it to the floor. The scent remained on her faintly, and had slightly faded from the t-shirt she was wearing which was good. All those years by herself she’d gotten used to the burning emptiness inside her, the hole in her being that was a constant reminder of the mates she was lacking. She’d tried to move on, tried to convince herself that she would be okay by herself, that she was enough, but no one else saw it that way.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her confusing scent and different colored eyes labeled her as a piece of three, incomplete and broken without her other parts. They’d ask her who she thought her mates were? Since she was alone for so </span>
  <span>long,</span>
  <span> they sometimes would joke about how her other two probably didn’t even notice her absence. The worst part? They were right.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>And that was what hurt the most.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>What made it even harder was that the emptiness was gone now, replaced with their feelings, scent, and presence. It was new and scary, June felt heavy with their emotions as if she was choking on words that were not hers to say. Attempts to reach and soothe her batted against her body before seeping into her skin, trying to calm her before she even had a chance to sink her teeth into being angry. She didn’t like </span>
  <span>it;</span>
  <span> she didn’t want this.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>With all those thoughts running through her mind June shouldn’t have been surprised at the moisture welling up in her eyes. Which only proved to make her angry as she thought of who had put her in such a position, where she was trapped. Even when she’d been alone for all those years it was like they, her mates, owned her, they didn’t even look for her and yet she belonged with them. And finally, when she decided to end it all, thinking it was the one thing she could control, they had taken that from her as well. As if she was a child.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wasn’t going to forgive them, even if they begged.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You’re up early,” Steve huffed. He’d been out for his usual morning jog around the city and was slightly surprised to come back and see Natasha in the kitchen already.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I couldn’t sleep anymore,” she muttered looking through the cabinets. “Is this all the food we have?” She groaned.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, Tony likes to order in a lot, you know that,” the other alpha shrugged.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She didn’t eat anything last night,” the red-head growled. “And she’s still recovering so she needs something easy to digest, but not soup, she wouldn’t want soup for breakfast,” she started to ramble and the man smiled softly. “What?” She looked at him with a frown.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Seeing you all worked up over your mate,” he chuckled. “It’s cute.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re not going to help me go away,” she snarled back.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Banana’s, eggs, toast, and oatmeal are easy to digest,” Steve said as he moved towards the elevator with a glass of water in his hand</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oatmeal,“ she muttered, thinking about what could go in it. ”Do we even-,” she started to ask as he pushed the button.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bucky bought some a couple days ago, he said you should use applesauce instead of sugar to make it sweeter. The applesauce is in the third cabinet next to the oats,” he explained. Natasha stared after him with a skeptical look on her face as the doors opened to let him walk in, her expression softened as </span>
  <span>he</span>
  <span> nodded at her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank him for me,” she said.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will,” he grinned as the doors closed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June woke up slowly, feeling groggy and sleep deprived which made sense after she had tossed and turned since waking up in the early hours of morning. It was the fault of the warm smelling blanket she had pushed off the bed, calling out for her to wrap it around herself and inhale deeply. She didn’t want it and groggily threw it into the bathroom before closing the door but it still called to her, begging to be made into a nest.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hadn’t made one since moving into her apartment. Her bed had always been a mess of plush pillows and blankets covered with scent aids that she’d gotten over the counter and been prescribed by doctors. It was the closest she could get to smelling anything even remotely close to her mates, and now that she had access to the real thing, it was a pale comparison. But it had been enough. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They hadn’t asked her yet if she would even need a nest, which meant that her mates had no idea what combination of second genders she was. One of her first tests had shown that it was a mix of beta and omega before she had been informed that the needs and characteristics would reveal themselves once she found her mates. When that hadn’t happened, her doctor went through many years of trial and error where he did his best to fill in for their absence. She was very grateful to the man and almost felt bad for what she had tried to do after all his attempts to help her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thinking about her doctor made her feel somewhat miserable, as the old alpha had always been so kind to her and even offered to try and scent her, even though he knew it wouldn’t do anything. There was one other third that went to his clinic, but they had their mates and weren’t of much help to June who was lacking. He tried to have them meet and talk but it hadn’t done any good.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man, a mix between an alpha and a beta, felt bad for her, like everyone did, but he at least understood where it was coming from. There had been a couple years of limbo where he wasn’t sure if his mates wanted him, but they had. He would also be mad if he knew what she had done.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jarvis?” She asked of the empty room. She’d started to feel fidgety in such an unfamiliar place that was void of her nest and scent aids. Home wasn't too great but it was the only place she had felt comfortable for a long time, even if it reminded her of the days she imagined being with her mates.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, little kit?” The voice responded.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is the door locked?” June muttered. She’d been staring at it intermittently throughout the night, wondering if the door would move as she turned it or stay static. Probably the latter, since she was little more than a prisoner here, almost the same as getting taken to the clinic.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have been given access to the entire floor,” it explained.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to look around then,” she groaned pushing herself to a sitting position.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being in a new place made her anxious. She didn’t like not knowing what was out there and everything about her accommodation was strange and unknown. The bedroom and bath were familiar, but only because she could see everything from on top of the mattress, and had sat in the tub while looking around. But most of the world outside the door was a mystery and she was itching to explore, even if she had to drag herself down the hall.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>What stopped her for a second was the lack of underwear and the fact that her form was only covered by a large t-shirt and nothing else. It did go down to her upper thighs, which didn’t help to assure her much since she was still bare underneath, she’d have to ask them for panties when they appeared again.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Feeling exposed she walked slowly towards the door, turned the latch, and pulled it towards herself until the area outside could be seen. Ceiling lights turned on as she walked into the tiled hallway, which was cold on her bare feet. There were more rooms in either direction one hall stretched into the dark while the other seemed to brighten and open up. She chose the latter and passed the same machines she had seen the day before until she stumbled into a common area with couches and a couple tables with chairs around it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The couch was full of pillows both on the couch and the floor around it as well as a couple blankets which had been shoved into the corner seat of the lazy V shaped furniture. It looked plush and comfortable and ultimately won over June as her inner second genders looked longingly over the dark grey fabric. Grabbing a few pillows along the way, one of them clutched closely to her chest, the third inhaled deeply at the mix of scents that seemed to explode from the couch as she fell onto it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was unmistakably the smell of her mates mingled amongst all the others, but it didn’t bother her as much when everyone else clouded her senses. Something about them being in a pack made it so she could scent them and actually feel comforted by their soothing pheromones when they pushed them out heavily. She hadn’t been expecting her mates to be part of a pack, not that it changed anything, she was still planning on getting out of here at the end of six months.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was comforting, and though she still wanted to push away and refuse them, her tired body sagged into the lavish softness instead and lulled her into an easy sleep. Shifting a bit here and there in her quest to remain asleep until a blanket was placed on her body.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce met Bucky in the elevator on his way up to where June was recovering on the medical floor, the alphas mission was to rouse her from sleep and talk a little before his mate arrived with breakfast. A meal that he was going to make sure she ate most, or at least some of, as he tried to settle into the mean side of their good cop bad cop arrangement. He wasn’t very excited about being forceful, but he was ready to touch and hold his third like he’d wanted to since she got to the tower.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as the doors opened the Alpha went straight for her room as Bucky wandered a little, saying he would get another blanket from the couch, as it seemed like she might be one who needed to nest. They really should’ve gotten her more blankets and pillows until they figured out what all she would require, but it was something everyone was getting used to. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The beta and his mate had found themselves talking about her the night before as they settled into their own bed. There was no way Bruce or Natasha would ever allow the girl to leave, even if she did make it to six months without getting claimed by them. She was too important and would more than likely be vulnerable if released to be on her own once again. Steve was sure Tony felt the same way, wanting to keep the third with them no matter what happened.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A scented wave of sweet flowers and damp forest met him as he walked into the common area and immediately caught sight of the girl snuggled into the corner of the couch. She’d tucked herself between multiple pillows, ashy brown hair going out in all directions as she made a soft sound before snuggling further into the warmth. If Steve was here instead the alpha would definitely be trying to take a picture on his phone, but Bucky merely watched and took careful steps towards her before stopping abruptly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her only clothing, a large grey t-shirt, had ridden up on her thighs to reveal the slight curve of her bottom that had the beta turning away immediately at the sight. A light dusting of a blush burning over his face as he realized how unprepared for the </span>
  <span>girl</span>
  <span> they were all over again. How had they not gotten her any underwear? Why didn’t she have any pants on? The shirt was obviously from Bruce, but what about the rest of the outfit? And why did she smell like that?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Usually, the alpha couple smelled like a dense forest and biting spices that sharpened with bitterness and anger, which made it hard to be around them sometimes. June had changed that. Her lingering scent on their forms had been warm, turning into a campfire with their unease. She’d balanced them out perfectly leaving the rest of the pack to follow after their newly developed pheromones greedily. The third hadn’t even been there a week and she was already affecting them so </span>
  <span>much;</span>
  <span> Bucky could only imagine what would happen once they’d claimed her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a couple steps towards her temporary bedroom the beta was very quickly met with an anxious looking Bruce who softened upon catching the scent of his mate in the area. He looked at June for a long moment before turning to Bucky with a sigh that the beta returned, still refusing to turn around.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She needs some,” he hesitated for a second, mind flashing to what he had just seen. “Undergarments.” The alpha looked at him strangely for a moment as he continued towards the girl, stopping suddenly and taking a deep breath at the sight in front of him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We gave her pants,” Bruce whispered loudly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Obviously she didn’t like them,” the beta grunted. “Probably too big for her, she’s tiny.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t-,” the alpha hissed softly while grabbing a blanket.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m won’t look,” Bucky assured him, cutting him off before he could finish.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce looked backwards to cast a small glare at the other man who was still turned away from the sight of the girl on the couch. His inner alpha was growling in desire at the sight before him, itching to reach out and touch the third’s exposed skin. Imagining how it would feel to run his fingertips up her legs until it reached the curve of her cheek.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking his head and willing the thoughts away he instead moved the blanket to cover up her form while inhaling her scent deeply, Natasha always smelled good, but June’s new pheromones were amazing. As he let the lush fabric go the girl’s eyes opened slowly with a soft moan that made Bruce stiffen while she moved to push herself further into the couch. Letting out a shuddering breath the alpha reached cautiously towards her forehead, thumb barely touching before she seemed to wake all at once and jerk away.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning,” his hand followed her. Still sluggish with sleep, and having trapped herself against the cushions June had nowhere to go and growled as his palm brushed hair away from her face. “Did you sleep well?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not really,” she mumbled batting his hand away. Her answer made the alpha frown inwardly, his mind working out what could be missing from her room until Bucky interrupted his thoughts.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you the type that needs a nest?” He asked, finally turning around after Bruce had started talking to the girl.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It certainly helps,” she said while stretching slightly. “I could get it from my apartment?” She offered but her mate was already shaking his head.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll get you some new stuff,” Bruce assured her. “Do you want to pick it out tomorrow?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The alpha didn’t really want her leaving the tower at all, but nesting materials were important and would need to be addressed as quickly as possible if they wanted her to recover. She had made a makeshift one herself on the couch, pillows and blankets acting as aids while she surrounded herself as </span>
  <span>best</span>
  <span> she could. Ideally, she would be sleeping with her mates, Buce and Natasha were eager to have her cuddle up against them in bed, but that was a long way off.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony had already mentioned that they could get her whatever she needed, and only the best of the best. He’d likely buy all the nesting supplies himself if he could, but it was better for the omega or third to pick it out themselves.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I have to go with you?” She groaned, eyeing him bitterly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pepper can take you,” Bruce smiled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That would be cool,” June replied softly. “I'm sleeping out here tonight though.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” the alpha hummed. She was sitting up now, but had pushed herself as far into the corner as the couch allowed and the beta couldn’t help but smile at how determined she was to avoid her mate. “Is there anything you want for breakfast?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not hungry,” she muttered and Bruce responded just as quick.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to eat something,” his said sternly. His scent shifting to a more commanding one that made his third frown.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Toast then,” she growled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And a banana,” the alpha insisted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine.”</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Between shopping for gifts, making them, and writing chapters, my brain is leaving me. I fixed the major mistakes but beyond that I'm sorry, I'll look for them later. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Within ten minutes a plate with two slices of buttered toast and a banana were placed in front of the girl on the coffee table, delivered by her other mate who eyed the third up and down upon arrival. She had moved one of the blankets over her lap but left pale, bare, legs on display for her two alphas to stare at with mixed emotions.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June offered Natasha an unhappy frown that she dragged over to her other mate who had settled himself onto the couch a cushion away from her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning,” the red-haired woman said with a smile.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” the third muttered blandly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The alpha wasn’t sure if it was an improvement or not from when she had freaked out on them in the other room, but she would take it. Bruce caught her gaze and flicked his eyes over to the other side of June on the couch, trying to get her to sit down without having to say anything. She took the hint and moved to take a seat before June growled at her, eyes darkening as she looked at the alpha. Natasha seemed to understand and instead pulled a chair over from one of the tables and settled into that.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Few times before the other day had seen June reacting so immediately to an alpha command, as they were more powerful when used by soulmates. Her dad was an alpha who had almost never used his own on his kids, as he deemed it unnecessary when it came to discipline or getting his pups to fall in line. The only one she had somewhat reacted to was her grandfathers, and those had always been accidents that slipped out in his decaying memory and old age.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Going down without putting up a fight didn’t seem fair and June had hated the way her body simply gave up even as she raged underneath. The female alpha hadn’t started off too well in her book, and made the third wish she was instead mated to the calm beta and alpha combo that was Bucky and Steve.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The beta had left just before breakfast arrived and June found herself missing his presence in the room, if only because he wasn’t aiming to touch or bond with her. His scent, which she was a little surprised she could smell, was metallic and minty and cut sharply though the spicy earthiness of her mates. She missed it even more as her two soulmates began to close in on her form.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was unnerving because they had yet to say anything as she lifted the bread to her mouth and took a bite, stomach churning slightly at the approach of food. It wasn’t that she had starved herself on purpose, part of it was from the medication she had been taking to make up for all the missing pheromones from her soulmates. One of the side effects was loss of appetite and as she got closer and closer to giving up on the bond, she had been taking more and more to combat the pain. A single meal in a day was something she’d gotten used to.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She wouldn’t need the pills anymore, not with said mates sitting on either side of her like cats looking at a mouse, but there was sure to be a little while before the effect wore off. Her doctor often asked her if anything had changed since her medication was always getting switched around and she usually lied to him. It was easier than kicking up a fuss over not having as big an appetite.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you have more important things to do?” June questioned them with a hiss.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Like what?” Natasha replied.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Save a city somewhere?” The third offered. “Bust a trafficking ring? Rescue some orphans? Save a cat from a tree?” She listed them off, getting irritated as they looked at her with soft expressions. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the most important thing right now.” Bruce assured her, letting out a wave of calming pheromones that his alphan mate mirrored which caused the girl to growl.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Bullshit,” she snapped.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June was sure that, should a call for help come to them, they’d leave her at the drop of a hat. They were the Avengers; they’d thrown their lives into many dangerous situations in the past and would definitely do it again whether or not she was there. When it came down to it, the third had convinced herself that they didn’t care about her but instead cared about keeping the bond they already had intact. Because if she gave up on the bond it would break it for all three of them and whatever they had been enjoying together would come to an end.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The proof to accompany this, deep seated, belief was how they had only appeared at the very end of it, after she’d nearly died and torn them apart. That was when they’d shown up and </span>
  <span>now</span>
  <span> they were telling her that she was important? Bullshit. She was determined to make it through these six months, fighting them at every possible turn until she was free.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha bristled at the swear word and wondered which of them would be the one to reprimand her for breaking one of the rules before Bruce responded.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“From now on,” he said, inching closer to her with every word. “You’re top of our list,” he smiled, genuinely, as he reached out and pinched her. She jumped at the contact, squeaking at the action and moving further away from him while he held up his pointer finger. “Rule number one,” he reminded her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever,” June muttered, rubbing the spot where he’d pinched her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Now eat the rest of your food,” the man commanded. In much the same tone that he had earlier that made the third glower at her barely touched plate of toast. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So pushy,” she grumbled going for a second bite.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Bruce smiled at her again before turning his gaze on Natasha and winking, making the other alpha almost blush at his actions. Most of the time, in their relationship, she was the sterner and more determined one that made plans and figured things out. He was the brute force with a softer demeanor that usually required a push to get started, which she had gotten used to. Such was not the case today, the calm way in which he was getting the third to do what he wanted was </span>
  <span>very attractive</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She’d never seen this side of him before, which was probably her fault, since she would take the role upon herself. When he’d first offered to play the bad guy in their plan to acclimate June, she’d doubted his resolve and wondered if it was the best way to act. She didn’t doubt him anymore.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June finished off the toast as quick as she could while eyeing them warily, as the two alphas glanced at each other every so often, seeming to speak a secret language she couldn’t understand.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m full,” she muttered, finishing the second slice.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The banana?” Natasha muttered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The third and female alpha looked at the yellow fruit at the same time before June looked away with a frown, she really didn’t feel like </span>
  <span>eating</span>
  <span> anything else at the moment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m full,” the girl shrugged. Bruce reached out to grab the banana slowly, looking at it with a frown before holding it out for June to take. She glowered at </span>
  <span>it and</span>
  <span> shook her head before he spoke with a small smile that she didn’t like.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You can either eat the banana, or let me scent you,” he stated.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She bristled at the mention of getting any closer to him than she already was, just the thought of him anywhere near her neck or rubbing his pheromones on her form was nerve-racking. Without another word, June took the fruit from him and started to open it, an incredulous glare set in her eyes as she started to growl lowly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leaning back into the couch Bruce smirked and looked at Natasha who seemed impressed, but had also brightened at the idea of scenting the girl. Of course, June wouldn’t want that right away, or ever if her feelings continued as they were, but the red-haired alpha couldn’t help but dream. Longing for the days she could come home from a mission, irritated and high strung, her inner alpha seething and raw, to a sleepy and warm third. Bruce had never been too good at being held or getting spoiled, especially when he was taller than her, but June. The girl was a couple inches shorter than Natasha and would easily fit in her arms.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Looking at her now the female alpha could tell those days were far off, but it would definitely be worth the wait when it finally happened. Sleeping with her curled up in between them would be amazing, Natasha nearly groaned at the thought of it before catching her </span>
  <span>counterparts'</span>
  <span> skeptical glance, she’d have to tell him later.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shame,” Natasha </span>
  <span>tisked</span>
  <span> as June slowly took a bite. She held her glare at the two of them while putting pillows in between them as if it would act as a good enough barrier to keep them out. It took her a couple minutes to finish it and at the final bite she held the peel out for them to see before dropping it on the coffee table.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Good job,” Bruce praised, scent beaming with warmth. A small part of the third wanted to preen at his words and she had to stop herself from humming softly. “Our doctor is coming to give you a checkup, if you have any questions about the bond you can ask him.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she grumbled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He’ll be here in about thirty minutes; we can stay with you during the visit if you want?” Natasha offered, hopeful, but knowing what her answer would probably be.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No thanks,” was the expected response.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any questions for us?” Bruce asked.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June looked away from them to stare at her hands, tracing her knuckles and then down her tendons as she thought numbly about everything she’d been questioning for years. Why didn’t they look for her? That was a big one. Did they not want her? Why did they wait for her to give up to come for her? What did they want from her now? It all swirled around in her head rapidly, almost giving her a headache before she finally spoke.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I going to be stuck on this floor the whole time?” She leveled Bruce with a bitter stare.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Once you recover, we’ll move you down to a spare bedroom on the pack floor,” Natasha answered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span> They’d already put a few of their own pillows into the room and wondered about what else they should buy for her to feel at home in the new room. It was closest to Bruce and Natasha’s own space, and would be easy to access if she ever needed them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Will I have access to all the floors?” She asked, perking up without meaning to. She’d seen the tower that the Avengers lived in on the internet multiple times and always wondered what it might be like inside. Of course, back then she’d never even imagined that she would get the chance to explore it herself, but here she was.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe not all of them,” Bruce said, glancing at his mate to see her agree. “But most of them.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The third nodded slowly, already thinking about other things as she continued to stare at her hands. Her alphas looked at them as well, remembering when she had still been limp and recovering and they had held it carefully as if she might break. Compared to their hands hers were small, much like the rest of her body. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Just ask Jarvis,” Natasha reminded her of the voice of the building. He, it, was hard to forget about, but also hard for the third to adjust to. This fake man who floated above and around her in the walls and air that knew so much and almost seemed like an imaginary friend.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You can come visit Tony and I in the lab, or find one of the other two on the recreation floor at almost any time of the day,” Bruce explained. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June looked up at him when he said lab, her eyes curious and wide, like a kitten, and the alpha stopped himself before he reached over and ruffled her hair. Though, right afterwards, he internally chided himself at his restraint, that was exactly what he should have done to her. He was still getting used to being pushy with the girl.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dr. Cander is getting into the elevator,” Jarvis’ voice informed them. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you don’t want us to stay?” Natasha asked as the screen on the elevator began to rise as he was lifted towards their floor.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a child,” June snapped. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Thus far, it felt as if they were treating her as if she was a child still in high school or something, instead of someone who was almost twenty-seven years old. She was tired of it, and it hadn’t even been a complete day that she had been awake around them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Never said you were,” Bruce smiled, his ever-cheerful disposition made the third growl. So far, he had been the one to reach out and touch her, move closer even as she snarled at him, and give her an ultimatum. The man would probably be harder to deal with, while the other, red-haired, alpha seemed content to watch from afar. Except for the other day when she had used an alpha command anyway, June wouldn’t forget about that anytime soon.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Just go away,” June glowered at them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The doors to the elevator opened and Dr. Cander smiled at them, an expression they returned before they switched places. The two alphas watched the beta walk away until the doors closed and Bruce let of a sigh of relief, sagging a little bit into the wall as he rubbed his forehead.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If she had let you scent her, I would’ve been so mad,” Natasha hissed. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“There even wasn’t a chance that would happen,” he chuckled as he hit the pack floor level.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but still,” she huffed. “Livid, I would’ve been Livid.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Jealous?” He nudged her with his elbow and she pushed him back playfully.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A little,” she smirked. “Impressed with your, tough guy act?” She drawled and Bruce raised his eyebrows in surprise at the change in pheromones. “Very.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, really?” He said while pulling her to him.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I’m happy to see you awake,” Dr. Cander said to the third. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d introduced himself immediately and the girl returned her own pleasantries warily, eyeing him as if she was a stray cat caught indoors. She looked a lot better than she had before and the beta was relieved to see her already so defiant against what was happening to her. If only because it meant she wasn’t still thinking about ending her life.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not,” she muttered, scent blaring her displeasure.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or perhaps not.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have some questions for you,” he smiled shortly. At the same time putting out as many calming pheromones as he could, betas didn’t have much but he’d learned to make the best of them as a doctor.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June told him, haltingly, about her past medications that she had been prescribed in order to help alleviate the pain that came with absence. She’d been tossed around to many hospitals and clinics where people had poked and prodded at her in order to help. Giving her heat aides, having her take tests, and trying to figure out which mix of chemicals and fake scents would work best for her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had found out that her mates were alphas by slowly increasing her pill intake until she felt satisfied, or somewhat anyway. Pheromone injections were far more effective when it came to lack of scents, or absence of mates, but they were for short term. Tablets had been created specifically for omegas and thirds who had yet to find their soulmates and were starting to get depressed. The poor girl had been on them for seven years.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were side effects, of course, to having been put on the pills for so long without the real thing. Shakily, her eyes turning away in shame, she recounted some of her bad days, and how the prescriptions had worn on her. She’d lost her appetite, bruised far too easily, dizziness, unstable pheromones, and sporadic and painful heats. Dr. Cander was sure there was much more that she was not telling him, but it’d have to do for now, at least she was talking to him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt bad for her all over again, the little thing had really tried almost everything in order to survive on her own, pushing herself to her limits until she could no longer take it. It was a wonder she still held so much defiance in her being, instead of melting immediately at the approach of her long-awaited mates, she bared her teeth and hissed. Yet, the beta couldn’t help but see what she was truly feeling.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the end of their appointment, Dr. Cander knew at least one thing. The best way to understand what the girl had truly been through was to ask her primary care doctor, who had known her since she was little and continued to see her as she grew. The older alpha, whose name was Robert Heather, had signed off on all of her referrals to other specialists and met with her at least once a month to make sure any side effects were not too severe. He’d have to give the man a call. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll see you next week,” he said while standing up.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Weekly visits?” June groaned.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For now,” he chuckled softly. “If you have anything to ask me, or if you want to talk, just call me,” the man smiled. She frowned at him, appearing as if she had something else to say but held herself back all the same, casting her eyes away from him as he wished her well.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She mumbled something that sounded like a goodbye before pushing herself back into the couch for comfort, it was surely full of the scents of the entire pack. Dr. Cander could tell that the assault of all their pheromones stuck in the fabric were overloading the girl as she’d been somewhat drowsy during his visit. It would be the first time she had likely ever felt so comfortable, especially now that she was coming down from all her medications. She would soon be drawn to them for comfort and need their scent in order to feel safe and complete.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he told her that she wouldn’t need to take the pills anymore her body stiffened, and he could tell she was afraid of making such a big change after being tied to them for so many years. She’d even questioned him about it, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth for a moment before her stare hardened into discomfort. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The poor girl was a mess of scents at this point, her own confusing ones, which was normal of a third, mixing with the rest of the pack. They were likely pumping theirs as much as possible in order to get her to calm down and claim her as part of their family for any outsiders that might get too close.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once again in the elevator, the beta assumed he’d at least make it back to the office before one of the Avengers would call or appear to ask him what they had talked about, but the floor dinged and doors opened to reveal three people. Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Bruce Banner stared at him expectantly, motioning for him to follow them to a lounging area where they sat down across from him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She needs time to adjust,” the doctor told them. “All your scents combined with her medication withdrawal are wreaking havoc on her body right now. A complete scent removal would speed up the process, but she’s been through enough already,” he explained. The alphas nodded in agreement before responding.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about putting her into subspace?” Tony questioned, having researched thirds extensively the past few days. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You could try,” the beta sighed. “But she’d probably fight you and once she came down from it, hate you even more.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then, no,” Bruce muttered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dr. Cander had already disclosed her medical history to them and what he had observed she was like from their meeting. The three men in front of him were stoic and betrayed nothing with their expression or scents, each of them deep in thought until Bruce had asked what they should be doing in the next few days. The fact that they were in a pack was a plus, because June could still receive some comfort from the rest of them, whereas mates without one had only each other to rely on. Which would have been a problem with how much the third seemed to despise hers.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t blame her,” Bruce had sighed in response to that comment.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get her supplies for a nest, she won’t recover if she can’t sleep,” the doctor said sternly. “And don’t let her buy any scent aides or </span>
  <em>
    <span>artificial </span>
  </em>
  <span>pheromones, that’s what she's used to. Tell her she can take anything from the tower she wants for her nest, but nothing </span>
  <em>
    <span>artificial</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he punctuated the word again.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We gave her a blanket, clothes, and stuffed animals, but she rejected them,” Bruce groaned.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’ll be looking for them soon. Theres a good chance she’ll avoid you and your mate for a while, but she’ll go looking for your scents in order to calm down.” the man explained. “Things will start to disappear soon, don’t ask her about it and don’t touch her nest,” </span>
  <span>he</span>
  <span> growled the last part.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re going shopping for materials tomorrow, is there anything specific that we should get?” Tony asked. He’d looked up information on nesting as well, but found it varied, almost every website and person recommending different things.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It depends on the person, take her with you, it’s important that she picks it out herself,” he said and they nodded in response.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We knew that,” Tony scoffed and the beta </span>
  <span>leveled</span>
  <span> him with a cold stare.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you’re planning on being somewhat,” he paused. “Stern with her, but don’t push it too far,” he warned. “She may seem like a little ball of fire on the surface but she’s struggling.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce wanted to argue against him like the other alpha had done, but held himself back. June was used to doing everything on her own, she wouldn’t easily accept her mates after all the years she had been alone begging for them to show up. She was even resisting putting her emotions into the bond for them to monitor her, although that could have also been a part of her third biology.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there anything else we can do?” Steve questioned, the only one of them to keep his head about himself when the doctor sounded as if he was making accusations against them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is obvious, but get to know </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he enunciated the last word. “Right now, she probably thinks of herself as nothing more than an object that you’ve obtained,” Bruce couldn’t help but bristle at his words. Of course, he cared about </span>
  <span>her,</span>
  <span> they all did.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t seem to talk to her very long,” Tony muttered, his expression turning skeptical. The beta had made quite a few controversial statements against them, but this one had taken it a bit too far, what did he think of them to say that?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is my job,” Dr. Cander stated. His pheromones darkened with his mood, even as his face stayed stoic and reserved the sharp smell of scorn filled the area, betraying his emotions. Bruce and Steve cast the other alpha irritated expressions as the beta continued. “I deal with these kinds of issues all the time, unfortunately.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for your help,” Steve said, trying to cut the tension with a soft voice.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know my number,” the beta said, erasing his bitter scent from the air immediately. They watched him leave before the alphas turned to address each other once more, the blond haired one speaking first.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, he knows better than us,” Steve grumbled jabbing Tony in the side. The other man hissed, hand going to his, now aching, ribs as the super soldier hadn’t seemed to hold back in the slightest.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t poke June like that,” he growled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the day passed without much happening. June was given soup at lunch that she didn’t finish and Bruce had to remind himself of what the doctor had told them about her eating habits before coming to the tower. Dinner was a small portion of roasted chicken with white rice that the third looked at warily, suddenly feeling as if she was going to be sick. Her alphas were firmer than the meal prior and used the same threat they had that morning, except the criteria was half of the food instead of all of it. She seemed to struggle with it and freaked out slightly </span>
  <span>every time</span>
  <span> Bruce moved a little bit closer to her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they asked her questions about what she liked the answers were vague. Reading. What genre? Depends on the story. Jigsaw puzzles. Of what? Doesn’t really matter. Going on hikes. Where? Places with trees. Which made sense as she had lived in a very wooded area. She didn’t say much else, but it was a start and the two alphas were already thinking of things they could get for her to enjoy.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They left her after the sun had mostly disappeared from the sky as she began to droop and because she had stopped talking in favor of staring at them unhappily. Natasha thought it was kind of cute but knew not to say it to the girl, else she would probably shift to growling in spite.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Come morning they found her curled up on the couch, still sleeping, with her face pushed into one of the two blankets she had turned into a makeshift nest. Before Bruce could stop himself, he was touching her face like he had the day before, fingers gentle in their caress of her right cheek before she stirred and he jerked himself away. His other mate burned holes into the back of his head with the heat of her glare as they walked back to the elevator, while instructing Jarvis to tell them when the third woke. She had yet to really touch her yet and he had already done it twice in barely the span of a day.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Breakfast was more toast and a banana, which June requested again, the only difference being the jam instead of butter spread across the two slices. She seemed to like it a little better, but it could’ve been that she knew what he would say if she didn’t eat it all and finished it without comment.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pepper appeared after June finished eating with a change of clothes, minus the undergarments anyway. With winter in full swing the third would need more than a t-shirt if she was going to go outside and walk around. The beta had gotten some of her more gently used clothes including a black sweater, which had shrunk on her, grey workout pants with a drawstring, and a dark blue peacoat. The third looked very much like she had taken some of her older sisters clothing once she was done changing, but it would have to do for now.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha’s clothes would have fit her better but anything having to do with her mate's scents seemed to put the girl on edge and that wasn’t really what they were going for at the moment. Eventually, they hoped, she would be stealing their clothes and wearing them proudly, or tucking them away in her nest. They could be patient enough for that to happen.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June walked towards the elevator slowly as the boots she had been given were also a couple sizes too big. She was excited to leave the tower but at the same time nervous about being with Pepper, whom she had only seen once or twice since arriving. The woman was nice, with a scent like fresh flowers and sharp rosemary, someone who seemed much to elite for the third to be at her side. She looked very much out of place and felt somewhat uncomfortable with it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony’s going to meet us in the nesting store after we get you some underwear,” Pepper explained as they entered a garage filled with the fanciest cars June had ever seen. The type she avoided in the parking lot as she was prone to accidents and scratching things with her own cheap vehicle. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The beta opened the back door to a silver, four </span>
  <span>door</span>
  <span>, Mercedes and ushered her inside before she walked around to the other side. There was a man in the driver's seat that Pepper did not address until they got out of the tower, and even then, it was only to tell him where they were going. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they walked towards him Tony chuckled softly at how the third looked, all dressed up in his mate’s clothes that were obviously too big for her as if she was a little dress up doll. June looked uncomfortable even as Pepper smiled at him with a look of triumph on her face.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened?” He questioned curiously. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How could underwear be so expensive?” The girl hissed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She wanted to go somewhere cheaper, but I won,” the beta smirked.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would’ve been disappointed if you hadn’t,” Tony said before pressing a quick kiss to her lips.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the nesting store the alpha stuck close to June, watching her reactions and interests to certain items, as his mate informed him that she would feign dislike if something was too expensive for her. But he could buy almost everything in the entire store without feeling a dent and was intent of getting any and everything the girl touched for more than a few seconds. Pepper followed behind and took a picture of each barcode with her phone while one of the employees collected them to be brought to the car.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Most of what grabbed the girl’s attention were the plush blankets, fleece, Sherpa, microfiber, and shaggy ones that she could easily sink her hands into. Pillows were much the same, but varied in size, one of them was even shaped like a fish and Tony almost threw it at Pepper for the smile it brought to the thirds face. Silly but soft, she’d called it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they passed the pheromone aide aisle and June moved towards it without a second thought the alpha growled and shook his head, telling her that they weren’t allowed in the tower. Her scent filled with worry and panic quickly, feet still taking her towards the artificial smells that had helped her through many tough nights. But the alpha hissed and shot down any attempts at an explanation she tried to give him for why she needed them. Even when she nearly whimpered in distress at being denied Tony stayed firm in his order.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Near the end she was holding onto one blanket, that was not as soft as the ones they’d gotten for her and decorated in a repeated pattern of tents and pine trees, and a small pillow. She seemed to hesitate before asking if there were any weighted blankets in the store, because she’d had one at home and it always helped her sleep. Pepper sent three to the car before they made it to the registers with the few items June thought would be enough for her nest, and the many others that would make it back to the tower before she did.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope, no, come on,” Tony called out for the third to follow him. She’d stopped to linger around Pepper and wait for her to be done so she could grab the blanket and hold it close, as if it was a shield.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“B-but,” she faltered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You need clothes, we’re going to spend some money,” he grinned. It was one of his favorite things to do, but the girl still looked at him hesitantly as he held his hand out to her. “</span>
  <span>You</span>
  <span> walk or I drag you,” he said sweetly as his mate urged her forward.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh, fine,” June groaned but followed.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Did she really pick out this fish?” Bruce chuckled as they brought everything up to the medical floor where June would be for the next few days. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They wanted to move her to the pack floor as quickly as possible, but Dr. Cander had said it would be better for her to want it on her own, which would happen soon. Now that she had gotten a taste of their combined pheromones and was constantly around her mates the soon to be faded scents from the couch wouldn’t be enough for her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The next morning, she would be allowed access to three more levels of the tower which included the pack area, gym and workout floor, and the dining space where they often spent most of their time together. She would likely feel most uncomfortable on the floor where all of them slept and sometimes scented each other, as it was where their collective scents were thickest. But that was vital for her seeking them out, as the beta doctor, and many other sources, had said, and there was already a room ready for her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure it was Tony who picked this one out,” Pepper muttered. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In the nesting store his instruction had been that anything he pulled askew from their shelves or hangers was to be added to the cart, and there were a lot of things. She was told to place a handful of blankets around all areas of the tower over couches and chairs as a way to entice the third to go there more often.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If any of you catch her cuddling it,” Natasha snapped out, her voice unnecessarily urgent. “I want a picture.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Same,” Bruce agreed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How did shopping go with June?” Bucky asked of the other beta.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It was interesting,” she chuckled. At the question, everyone else in the room listened in as well, curious as to how the girl had done on her first trip outside the tower since arriving. “She’s a grumpy little thing, doesn’t like getting help from anyone. Insisted that she use her own money until she remembered she has none of her things.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s been on her own for a while now,” Steve nodded, dropping some pillows and a couple blankets on the floor.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I saw her smile once,” Pepper added. “But the face she made when she saw the price tag,” she laughed at the memory. “Said she’s going to pay me back, it was cute.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“When is Tony coming back with her?” The red-haired alpha frowned. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hearing about how June was and acted was nice, but she wanted to be the one to see everything and learn everything about her. Her mate felt the same way, and couldn’t wait for the third to return so they could watch her react to the too many blankets and pillows.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He didn’t say, but I’m guessing by lunch, he knows it’s important for her to eat right now,” the beta explained.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When they didn’t return by noon and made no effort to call and reassure the rest of them Natasha made a very angry phone call to the other alpha, which he did not pick up. A couple of them tried to as well, but he only answered the call from his mate, before saying he was having fun and to not worry about anything. June’s mates growled at the </span>
  <span>response;</span>
  <span> their combined annoyance did not dim even after a text explained that they had gotten food to go.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The shorter alpha was not happy about that, because she wanted to make sure June ate something that would help her recover, a healthy meal that she would probably not finish, but that was okay. Instead, she had to rely on a man that ate out regularly and usually had little care for what went into his own body.  Bruce tried to calm her down but the bitter edge remained until their third returned much later in the day, more near the time that they would’ve been wondering what to make her for dinner.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t know he had arrived until Natasha’s phone lit up with his name and she answered it with a snarl that he quickly hushed. She was about ready to turn feral when he stopped her words abruptly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want me to carry her up or are you going to come get her?” Tony questioned, a smirk in his voice. They could tell after all the years of working with him and then being in a pack with him, the man was definitely wearing the most triumphant, beaming grin they would likely ever see.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do?” Natasha groaned as they made their way towards the elevator.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” He gasped in disbelief. “We went shopping, I got her lunch, and tired her out. Now you can hold her,” he drawled. The two alphas shared a look but otherwise said nothing while the call cut out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tony had had a great day with June, dragging her all over the city as he looked for only the best as she groaned and complained about almost everything. It had been his goal to get her all the things she would need, and then a bunch of other things that she wouldn’t. She now had a wardrobe and enough clothes to last her a month before she would need to wash anything, and had been forced into a haircut appointment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The girl asleep in the back seat was barely recognizable as the one who had left that </span>
  <span>morning.</span>
  <span> Her hair had been trimmed just slightly, but looked heal healthy and full, the ashen blonde color no longer dull and dead looking. Her bangs were grown out enough to tuck behind her ears and Tony had gotten her scrunchies and headbands, even as she frowned deeply at him. Picking on her was the best part of the day as she constantly snapped back at him as if he wasn’t the all-powerful alpha that other people always made him out to be.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She was brutal when it came to picking things apart and didn’t hesitate to give her opinion on something, which was exactly what Bruce and Natasha needed. He couldn’t wait to see them fighting only to have the girl point out exactly who was in the wrong and why, it would be a much-needed wakeup call. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He could smell the unhappy scents from the alphas before he even saw them, though their frowns disappeared almost immediately at the sight of their sleeping mate. After getting into the car for the last time, she had removed her new, warm, dark red jacket before leaning against the window and dozing off. What remained of her, well-constructed, outfit was a bulky black knitted sweater, blue jeans that hugged her thin legs, and black ankle boots.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Tony bragged. “She looks good, doesn’t she?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What did she eat earlier?” Natasha muttered as they looked at her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Some white rice, a little bit of my teriyaki chicken, and egg drop soup. Which she said is one of her favorites,” he explained.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” The woman sighed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just mad because you wanted to make her something,” he shrugged, and he </span>
  <span>wasn't</span>
  <span> wrong.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We can talk about it afterwards,” Bruce said before leaning into the car.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you get to carry her?” Natasha growled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I’m taller and stronger,” he explained. Tony took a few steps back with a smirk on his face, already enjoying the show.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve already touched her twice, it’s my turn,” she growled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Bruce surrendered, holding up his hands. “Don’t drop her.” He warned and watched his mate sneer at him in response. “And I barely touched her.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever,” she muttered. Carefully, the alpha pulled her mate out of the car and back towards the entrance of the tower. “She’s too light,” Natasha grumbled. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The girl was small, shorter than any of them in the tower, and underfed from years of medication side effects and other things. Holding her bridal style, nose tickled slightly by the third's hair, the alpha couldn’t help but breathe in her scent, and nearly moaned at how sweet and perfect it was. Bruce would likely be able to hold most of June with one arm and free the other one up to brush aside hair or squeeze tighter, but this was fine.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Jealous,” she whispered as the elevator doors closed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Very,” Bruce growled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On the way up to her room the third stirred only once, humming slightly and trying to snuggle more into Natasha’s chest. Making the other alpha shake his head with a frown, if he couldn’t wait to hold the girl before, it was pumped to the max now.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Should we put her on the couch, or in her room?” Natasha questioned.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll get a blanket from the couch for her, but hopefully she’ll wake up and start making a nest with all her new stuff,” Bruce said and his mate nodded in agreement.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All the blankets and pillows had been opened and spread about the room and it looked a mess, but, according to Tony, it was the best way for her to be able to rifle through them. Natasha lowered her onto the bed slowly, cooing softly when June whimpered at the loss of </span>
  <span>contact</span>
  <span> with her mate, if only she was like this when she was awake.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Here,” Bruce’s voice came from behind her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They placed the blanket on top of her and watched as she curled into it, making a soft, content, noise in her sleep that made the man mirror the other alpha’s action from a moment earlier. Natasha leaned down to gently kiss her forehead making the man frown at her forwardness, though she had always been that way.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Not wanting to be left out he waited for her to move away a little before he moved to do the same, instead pressing his lips against her cheek. Scenting her at the same time that he let out a wave of soothing pheromones that he was sure would linger for a few hours. The last thing he did before leaving was to carefully take off her boots and lay them by the foot of the bed, her other clothes would arrive later. Natasha offered him an irritated glance before pulling him out of the room and closing the door. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Both of them knew they shouldn’t be getting mad at the other, because once, she accepted them it would be fair game, but with her constantly frowning at and rejecting them it was rough. Mostly they were jealous of Tony for being able to spend the whole day with her, the man probably knew more about her than her mates did at that point. Which was frustrating.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June woke groggily, aware that she had fallen asleep in her new clothes, that felt somewhat restricting on her body, but not coherent enough to take them off. In her, half awake, state of mind she slumped off the bed in search of the pillow and blanket she had gotten at the store with Tony and Pepper earlier. Hands found their way into much softer, and higher quality blankets, that she immediately brought back to the bed before going back to search for anything else she might want.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Another plush comforter, three pillows, and one of the weighted blankets made it back to the bed as she tiredly moved them around until it was good enough for her to fall back asleep again. In the back of her mind, she knew that everything she had gathered were things that she had not picked out, but her body was too close to sleep to care. All but one of them were new and took her scent easily, while the last one smelled faintly of the rest of the pack, which she gratefully pushed her face into before she was gone once more.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When she next woke in the morning June took a deep breath, snuggling into the source of her comfort which happened to be one of the blankets from the couch. Whining slightly when she realized that the scent was nearly gone and replaced with her own after constantly being around it the past few days. It was the best she had ever slept before and though she didn’t want to admit it, and even further, she didn’t want it to end. Which meant she’d have to find something else that was saturated in their collective scents, maybe a different couch on another floor would have some pillows. The hardest part would be taking it without anyone noticing, because she didn’t want them to know that she needed it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The room looked like a complete mess as she finally took it in. There were, at least, ten other blankets scattered around the room, pillows thrown all over the floor and leaning against the walls, and a collection of them on the bed. Vaguely, she recalled grabbing them the night before, and though she wanted to reject them her inner secondary genders whimpered at the thought of getting rid of them. At the moment her nest was better than she had ever managed to get back in her apartment and had given her one of the best sleeps since presenting.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a growl she pulled herself from it, hands wanting to ruin the construction as she thought of how smug Tony would look after she had nearly jumped at the chance to use what he had selected. Instead, her legs pulled her into the other area on her room to wash her face and inspect where her clothes had made indentions in her pale skin.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After going to the bathroom and trying her best to get comfortable in clothes that now felt too tight, she trudged out into the hall, stopping as soon as the door opened to reveal a bag of clothes. Curious as to what they had thought she would want to wear June brought it back into her room before dumping the contents on her bed. Thankfully, they were the pieces that June had picked out, compared to almost all of the other ones that Tony had insisted and practically forced upon her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She ended up putting on a comfortable, and slightly big, pair of black joggers that bunched up at her heels, a soft grey t-shirt, and a tan cardigan sweater that was thick and warm. It felt good to finally put on something other than a t-shirt, or something someone else had picked, and though she still didn’t think the underwear had been worth that much money she was happy to have them anyway. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Little kit,” Jarvis’ voice came in suddenly. She jumped, whirling around before remembering that he was pretty much one with the building and had no body of his own.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yes?” She stuttered, heart thumping wildly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been given access to three other floors in the tower, where you can come and go as you please,” he stated and June felt her heart soar.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” She beamed, immediately excited and brimming with happiness. She could finally explore and wander around like she’d been itching to do since waking up in the tower. “Which floors?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The kitchen, pack area, and gym,” his disembodied voice replied. Which didn’t sound exciting, but she was pumped to see them regardless.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I go right now?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Anytime you want,” was the answer. “Breakfast will be in an hour.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June nearly ran to the elevator and hummed in anticipation as the doors opened to her. She’d been eyeing it bitterly after having looked through the medical floor as much as she wanted, it had been an impenetrable gate that kept her from the rest of the tower. And here she was, finally using it to go wherever she wanted, well, three floors of whatever she wanted anyway.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Where would you like to go first, Little Kit?” Jarvis asked of her.</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for all the comments, kudos, and views.  :]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>She ended up picking the gym floor, for the sole reason that she figured it would be the least populated. Since it was still somewhat early there was a chance a few of them would still be hanging out on the pack floor or already on the level with the kitchen and dining area. Hopefully, if there was anyone on the </span>
  <span>one</span>
  <span> she was headed to, they would leave her alone as she looked around.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Upon stopping at the correct floor, the elevator revealed the fanciest gym June had ever seen, the space was completely open and stretched far to the other side of the tower. The floor was sleek and dark grey, walls not covered in windows were a sophisticated looking black that appeared matte under bright, blaring lights. Treadmills, bikes, and other running machines looked out over the </span>
  <span>city;</span>
  <span> she could see herself zoning out as she inspected the tops of the other buildings.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t smell like any of the gyms she had been to before, where the persistent stench of old socks and sweat had seemed stuck to the walls and oozing out of any machine with a padded seat. The floor was cold on her bare feet as she walked into the area and looked at everything curiously, shivering slightly at the cool temperature. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clutching her </span>
  <span>cardigan</span>
  <span> a little tighter June walked to the other end of the gym, glancing at all the different machines warily, as if they might suddenly fall apart and clang loudly. At the end of the area there was a door and she immediately went to reach for it when a noise pulled her attention around the corner. There was a short hall between the two areas where a countertop with a sink and cabinets above it ran along one side of the wall. She resolved to look through its contents later before walking towards the other sections of the gym.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Around the other side was another open area with a few punching bags hanging from the ceiling, a boxing ring, and a portion of the floor with mats. Half of the wall was lined with mirrors and most of the windows on the other side were darkly tinted, unlike the other part of the gym that was illuminated by outside light. There were a couple benches along the far back wall, one of them had a lump of fabric and a water bottle as well as a beaten-up bag that was leaned up against the wall and sad looking.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wondered which one of the Avengers had brought it into such a state and moved towards it slowly before a loud noise made her jump and jerk suddenly to the left. Where Steve’s beta mate, Bucky, was beating the crap out of a bag, his fists landing so strongly it looked ready to give up, much like the one sagging towards the floor. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Standing awkwardly near the boxing ring the third didn’t notice the approach of the man behind her until he spoke.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning,” came a rumbling voice that made June jump, heart suddenly in her throat.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She whirled around to see Steve with a small smirk on his face and a towel thrown over his shoulder as he looked past her to nod at his mate for a moment before his eyes found her again. She didn’t have anything against the alpha, it was the simple fact that she had seen him the least out of everyone else in the pack and that made her wary of him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi,” she muttered. A guarded look in her eyes as she glanced from him to Bucky who had paused his workout to approach them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had been around the beta a bit more, his scent was one she’d already gotten used to and felt comfortable with, as he was more of a calming presence when compared to everyone else in the tower. The other one, Pepper, had a similar feeling about her, though her stiff and domineering attitude from the day before had changed her opinion a little. June had insisted she would pay for her own things and was immediately shot down by the woman, every attempt to refute brushed aside as she led the third around the expensive lingerie store.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although, compared to Tony, the woman had been much laxer, as the alpha barely listened to her and seemed to pick at anything that made her irritated, as if he was a child. The day had been exhausting, firstly because she hadn’t gotten too much exercise since she’d decided to waste away for good, and secondly from all the places he had taken her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Didn’t mean to scare you,” Steve chuckled, raising his hands in surrender.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wasn’t,” she growled, the noise only proving to make Steve smile more. She didn’t like that.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let you out of the cage, huh?” Bucky said when he was a few steps away from them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two men towered over her and she suddenly felt very small beneath their gazes, scent changing to slight unease as she looked away from them. Exercise had accentuated their scents and June found herself feeling a little suffocated between the two, not used to being able to smell or be affected by them in general. It definitely had something to do with them being in a pack with her mates, but it all made her very uncomfortable.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>If the other two noticed they didn’t say anything and instead tried to muffle their pheromones as much as they could, though within the few moments that they shared a look of understanding June changed. Her eyes rose to Steve defiantly, a determined, pissed off, expression that had them looking at her curiously.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Those clothes look good on you; did you have fun with Tony yesterday?” Bucky </span>
  <span>questioned;</span>
  <span> her bitter face softened at his words as she thought about her day with Tony.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s pushy, and kind of annoying,” she groaned but then hesitated for a moment. Eyes cast down and away from them as she said the next part. “But it could’ve been worse.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He said it was fun,” Steve smiled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good for him,” she grumbled and Bucky mirrored his mate. They watched as she glanced around the area again, avoiding looking at them as much as she could until her gaze finally landed on them once more. “Are you guys always here in the morning?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Unless we have a mission, yes,” the alpha answered. “Why, thinking of joining us?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” she said, casting him a disgruntled glance. “I want to look around when you’re gone. So, I’ll come back later,” she muttered while turning away from them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve wasn’t sure how to respond to such a blatant rejection and merely watched her go as his mate didn’t even try to conceal his grin that turned into a chuckle. He’d always prided himself on being good with people but June didn’t seem to care in the slightest and hadn’t even say any word of goodbye either. Tony was right, she was blunt and didn’t try to hide much when it came to people she didn’t like, which meant everyone in the tower probably.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess we shouldn’t expect her to like us,” he sighed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She was fine with me until you showed up,” Bucky teased, making his alpha throw him an unimpressed look.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June resolved to come back later and look around more, hopefully when she came back no one would be there and if there was, she would come back the next day, or the next day. It didn’t really matter, which, now that she thought about it, was kind of sad, as she had six months to explore the tower as much and as thoroughly as possible. There was a good chance that by the end of her stay she would know the place better than most of the other Avengers.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Which floor, little kit?” Jarvis asked once the doors had closed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The uhm,” she hesitated. One of her mates was undoubtably on the kitchen level, itching to make her something other than the pathetic two pieces of toast she had been requesting every morning. Yet, there were many other floors that she wasn’t allowed on that they could freely go to and from, pickings were slim for her. “Pack floor, I guess,” she added the second part on with a sigh.        </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Compared to the gym the light was much dimmer on this floor, though the fixtures along the hallway seemed to activate as she cautiously walked out of the elevator. The hallway was short and soon opened to reveal a large area devoid of walls that had any number of places for people to sit and hang out. There were couches, giant bean bags, comfortable chairs, and tables that June imagined they must sit around and talk about their days, or something. A large collection of cushions and blankets were set up in front of one wall that was shiny like a television screen and made the third wonder if it was in fact one.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before she got too much further into the space June’s body was all at once aware of the scents that permeated the air. If she had been uncomfortable next to Bucky and Steve earlier it was nothing next to how she felt now, head swimming full of each person that’d she’d met in the tower thus far. The medical ward smelled mostly like disinfectant and bleach which made it easy to figure out when someone had come and gone. The same could probably be said about the gym, the packs pheromones might linger for a little bit but would soon disappear as the days went on and less time was spent there.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The same could not be said about this place, as it was the pack floor and the </span>
  <span>one</span>
  <span> they all lived and scented each other on. June couldn’t quite imagine it but they probably cuddled together on some of the couches, or hugged in the armchairs, noses buried in their mate's necks. This was too much. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d never really been around a pack before and was unprepared for the way all of their scents would affect her. The third had gotten used to not responding to anyone’s pheromones after she presented, even her parents no longer had any sway over her, which also meant they could no longer comfort her either. Since being brought here she reacted to everyone because they acknowledged her as one of them, her inner second genders wanted to preen and snuggle up to them as much as possible but June was </span>
  <span>resilient</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It just didn’t help that all of their combined scents made her loopy as she fought her body for control of her actions. For the rest of the Avengers the floor was no doubt a breath of relief, they’d sigh in joy at finally being around the scents of their mate and pack, probably sink into a couch in bliss but she whined instead. Something deep within her purred, as if a key had finally clicked into place and opened a hole to be filled and filled until it was overflowing. Being there felt right, as if this was what she had been looking for all her life, it was scary.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Turning around as fast as she could June nearly sprinted back towards the elevator, breathing a sigh of relief as the doors closed once more.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Back to my room, please,” she said, breathing heavily.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now that she was out and away from the pack floor her inner beast’s voice was not as loud and insistent that she give in and accept what was happening to her. It begged her to submit, to be touched by her mates, to be cuddled until their scents melded into each other and completed themselves and June forced everything back down as much as she could. Because they didn’t actually want her, she just needed to be alive for them to keep their bond intact. All she had to do was play nice, nice enough anyway, until she could get out of there.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d survived eleven years without them, six months with them would be nothing.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>After spending the next ten minutes calming down and once again adopting a look of indifference and disdain June was being taken to the kitchen floor to stare down at whoever decided today was a good day for a pack breakfast. Thankfully it was only Bruce and Tony that greeted her as soon as the doors opened to reveal the third standing awkwardly. She didn’t hesitate to scowl at the already smirking alpha who had taken her any and everywhere the day before, although she had to admit it was thanks to him she wouldn’t need for anything for a while. Not that she would tell him that though.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kitchen floor looked more like a bar and had multiple levels in the wide-open sections where people could mingle and relax with windows completely surrounding and exposing them to the rising sun. She looked up and away from them at the reveal, eyes glancing this way and that as she took everything in and made mental notes of what to look at later.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Either side of the area had a long countertop with high stools that would allow them to sit and rest their food or drink in front of them, and then another countertop behind the first. The one on the left was vacant and had a lot of different bottles of alcohol while the right side had the same setup up but the booze had been replaced by cabinets. There was a microwave and what looked to be a stove and oven where there were likely to be </span>
  <span>coolers</span>
  <span> on the other side.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why does this look like a bar?” She questioned without returning their greeting.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because it is,” Tony said at the same time Bruce spoke.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not anymore.” The two alphas looked at each other afterwards before her proclaimed mate continued. “It’s a bar for our rare parties, but mostly it’s where we eat. Anything different this morning or?” He left the question open and offered her a soft smile. He wasn’t usually the one who cooked or made meals, as Natasha seemed to like doing it, but he was still capable of the basic things.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe a volcano eg-,” she stopped herself suddenly, looking horrified and embarrassed. “With the yolk still runny, an over easy, over easy egg, she repeated, trying to erase what she first said.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you call it a volcano egg?” Tony questioned, an expression of pure delight on his face. “Because you poke the top and the yolk comes out,” he laughed as June blushed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My mom always called it that,” she hissed with a glare, though her cheeks burned red.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How cute,” he teased earning a snarl from the girl.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anything else?” Bruce pushed further, hiding his own feelings of warmth and contentment at her words. Natasha would be jealous later, as Tony would not fail to tell the rest of the pack what June had said.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Toast,” she shrugged. “Just one piece,” she added quickly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And a banana, right?” Her mate said, giving her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yup,” she said in an annoyed voice.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next four or so days, for June, were dedicated to exploring any and every part of the tower that she had been given access to, including the pack floor. She’d first exhausted the kitchen and then gym floors and pushed herself to venture further into the pack floor until she got used to being bombarded by everyone’s scents. Though their combined smells had made her a bit dizzy at first, it was her curiosity that finally won over and dragged her inside.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She avoided everyone else like the plague, even trying to skip a couple meals that they had hunted her down for and threatened to take her elevator privilege away should she try it again. Which made her whine a little before she cut it off as Bruce escorted her to the table where her food was waiting, one hand on her shoulder and the other at her back. She’d jerked away from him as soon as the elevator opened but the alpha refused to let his smile fade as she hissed and glowered at him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony had taken to sneaking up on the third and scaring her as she stared blankly into closets and around corridors, deep in thought. Steve did it once on accident and watched the girl smash her head into a shelf with a whimper, fretting over her as she growled at him weakly. At one point, Bucky compared her to a cat, and after that none of them could get the image of it out of their heads. She showed up for mealtimes, could sometimes to spoken to and hold a conversation, didn’t like to be touched, and gravitated towards the people who left her alone.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her favorites, at least from what they could tell, were Pepper and Bucky. She seemed to perk up slightly, if a miniscule glance at said person could count as such, at either of them if they walked by or came for food. The opinion she held for everyone else varied greatly from person to person, as she undoubtable hated her mates more than anyone, Tony was probably second, and then a tentative Steve on the bottom. Mostly because he was usually the one that pinched and jabbed her for breaking the rules, which she always grumbled about.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They even spoke of possibly changing her punishments to acts of affection and intimacy from her mates instead of what they were currently doing, because it </span>
  <span>wasn’t</span>
  <span> really working. Plus, it would give her mates more opportunities to touch and possibly scent her, though they hadn’t tried spanking yet. All her wrongs thus far had been small things that didn’t call for her to be taken over the knee, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t happen.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing had really gone missing from anyone’s rooms yet, as Dr. Cander said would happen once June realized she needed it in order to sleep comfortably in her nest. Their smell must’ve disappeared from the blankets and pillows at least a few days ago and she showed no signs or being put off or lacking of anything, besides personal space anyway.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then she started to fall asleep in random places around the tower, usually close to or on top of something that carried a lot of pheromones, which meant she wasn’t getting enough sleep at night. It was kind of funny, and they discovered that she could sleep almost anywhere, in any position, and wouldn’t wake up until the scented item was removed. Bruce and Natasha really wanted to move her down to the pack floor, but the beta doctor insisted they wait until she made the move for herself.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look tired,” Dr. Cander said to the third. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was already time for their second meeting and the man joined them during lunch, when she was easiest to find. They’d moved to one of the smaller tables that looked over the city, he watched her push food around the plate with her fork as she stared him down with a frown.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” she muttered, leaning back in her chair. Natasha and Bruce were back at the bar, talking idly but staying close.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t just push it around your plate, eat it,” Bruce called to her and she glowered at him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were constantly treating her like a child and she hated it, punishments for breaking the rules, talk of getting grounded, grounded! If she failed to show up for meals, and talking about her without talking to her, she hated it here.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll sleep much better with their scents close,” he said while opening her file on his </span>
  <span>ipad</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t need them,” she hissed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even though the man was right, she didn’t want to admit it. Her room had been vacant of their smell for a few days now and even with her lush and comfortable nest she couldn’t sleep for more than an hour at a time. Of course, she knew what the problem was, but refused to remedy it with something of theirs, because it would mean that they were getting to her. Accepting clothes and blankets was one thing, but purposefully taking things covered in her mate's scents was admitting defeat.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The remedy to her lack of nighttime sleeping was falling asleep in random places throughout the tower, and it wasn’t a voluntary one. The first time she’d accidentally scented a jacket Natasha left in the gym and, more or less, passed out in the storage closet where they kept extra workout pads and water bottles. Bucky had been the one to find her and quickly sent a picture to her alphas who groaned at the adorable display. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm,” he hummed with a nod. “Your scent is a lot </span>
  <span>healthier;</span>
  <span> you’re starting to smell more like your pack.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I haven’t accepted them yet,” she said, upset that her body wasn’t doing what she wanted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t matter,” he tutted, pulling up a notepad app. “The </span>
  <span>omegan</span>
  <span> part of you is reacting to its alphas, while the beta is fighting it, that’s why you’ve lasted so long without being scented,” he explained. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her pheromones started to leak out slightly as she became frustrated with herself, anxiety and distress tainting her for a moment. Making the man let out a wave of his own, a soothing and calming one that she flinched away from, pulling her hands away from the table and shrinking back into her chair with an upset frown. She’d been doing her best to stay away from them as much as possible and still her body was reacting, because their scents were everywhere it was happening so fast!</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Soon, your body will want something more, a shirt, some light touches, or-,” she cut him off, brow furrowing more as she spoke.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there any way to stop it?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” Dr. Cander sighed. The only way for her to stop going down the road she was currently on would be to get away from them, if she was no longer around their scents the urges would fade away. But with mates like the Bruce and Natasha, with a pack like the Avengers, it simply wouldn’t happen. “No. Not while you’re living here.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not fair,” she mumbled, close to a whimper.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mates had stopped talking to each other and the beta could tell, just from their posture, that the alphas were listening to everything that was being said. Surely, they wanted to come and comfort the girl, but with how much she still resisted and avoided them it wouldn’t do much good.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to touch them, anything with their scent on it will work,” he said, softening his voice.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s hardly a choice,” she grumbled. Eyes hard and angry, but also shiny with the beginnings of tears that she refused to let fall. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Since presenting she’d been told that happiness came from being with her soulmates, that she would no longer feel anything from her family, her bond to them severed completely as soon as her second gender was revealed. At first, she hadn’t thought much about it and even figured that it made sense, but after a few years alone, with no one to ease the pain or comfort her it changed. Because of what she was, because she belonged to two people and not just one, she had no control over her body. It depended on them. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ones who’d left her alone all this time, been mated for years without her, and didn’t even try to look for her until she decided to give up. They took away her medications and sleep aides, dragged her to meals she wasn’t hungry for, healed a bond that she didn’t want, and her body was accepting it, craved it. But she didn’t! It wasn’t fair. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The government asylum would definitely not be as lavish as this place, but there would’ve been places for her to escape their scent, days where she wouldn’t have to see them. It was a year, which was less than desirable, but it’d only been two weeks here and she was already fighting for control of her body.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the remainder of his visit June’s answers were short, shorter than usual anyway, her face a bitter mask of disdain, brow furrowed as she glared down at the table where her food was mostly untouched. She didn’t want to be there anymore, not in front of the doctor, or near her mates, or anywhere, but now that she was in the tower there was almost </span>
  <span>nowhere</span>
  <span> she could escape to. As soon as he said she could leave the third stood slowly and went straight for the elevator, stopping only when Natasha grabbed her arm. She hadn’t finished her food, and they were sure to have heard bits of the conversation as they’d stopped chatting with each other halfway through.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t touch me,” she snapped, jerking her arm away from her. The alpha let her go with a frown as she turned to look at the beta who was also standing up with a sigh.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Didn’t seem to go very well,” Natasha muttered. Bruce watched June until the doors closed, her loathsome eyes looking down and away from him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Her omega part is starting to react to you and the beta bit are having a hard time fighting them, she’s frustrated,” Dr. Cander explained.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, what we’re doing, it’s working?” Bruce questioned with a hesitant smile.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kind of,” the beta groaned when their expressions turned curious and skeptical. “Because she still,” he paused, trying to think of a better word than hate. “Dislikes you so much, the bond is healing very, very slowly.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She hasn’t taken anything for her nest yet,” the woman explained.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can tell,” he said, collecting his things. “For now, start leaving more clothes out than usual. She likely doesn’t want you, or anyone, to know that she’s taken something. If there’s a lot of things she might actually take one.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And if she doesn’t?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You might find her asleep in some strange places,” </span>
  <span>he said</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Already happening,” Bruce replied immediately after.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At least you’re prepared.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They left her alone, even though lunch had only given her a couple bites of food before she nearly ran away from them, which meant she’d get a bigger dinner than usual. Although it wasn’t uncommon to not see her during the day, she didn’t show up around the time they set for the last meal. Though he didn’t want to admit it, Bruce was excited to chase her down as he had done last time, his inner alpha itching to touch her again, fingers close to rubbing the scent gland on her neck that was begging for attention.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony appeared in the elevator as he walked towards it, bag of food in his hands as he glanced from the table to the man walking towards him with an understanding look.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Didn’t show up again?” He questioned.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, who was it that gave her access to other floors?” Bruce scoffed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She looked so sad being stuck in medical,” Tony pouted, with a chuckle. “And I want her to one day visit us in the lab. Something </span>
  <span>happen</span>
  <span> today?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean visit me,” the other alpha growled. “Doctor came, said she needs our scent, she got a little upset.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, she hates you, so it makes sense,” he ditched his food to join his packmate in the elevator. Ignoring the growl that came from Bruce as he spoke to the air. “Jarvis?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sir?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where is our little Kit?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s in a storage closet on the recreation floor, sir,” the voice responded.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If she’s asleep I want to hold her,” Tony smirked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Steve who found her, following a mostly faded scent of distress that led him to one of the messier storage rooms of the gym. Where the third had crawled to the very back behind boxes, stacks of towels, and books in order to hide herself from view as much as possible. There was no change in her scent, nor any sound to indicate that she noticed him open the door, which meant she was probably asleep like all the other times they had found her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He did feel bad for the girl, being left alone for so long, fighting for a life that was incomplete and finally giving up only to be thrust into this new world she didn’t want. Bruce and Natasha had been a nightmare of a couple together, switching rapidly between happiness and irritation as they tried to figure out why it wasn’t working. The only thing that helped at all was the presence of June who wanted absolutely nothing to do with them. Finally, the alpha couple started doing things together, when it came to their </span>
  <span>third</span>
  <span> they could agree on things, make plans, and communicate without misunderstanding each other. The person they didn’t understand, perhaps none of them did, was June.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he kneeled down to get a better look at where she was a stack of towels shifted slightly and he stilled, letting out a wave of calming pheromones that he hoped would soothe her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You okay back there?” He questioned, trying to catch sight of her around the boxes.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not really,” came a muttered reply.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Want to talk about it?” He was expecting a very quick, snappy, refusal but instead his words hung in the air for a moment before she finally spoke.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” She finally muttered; voice muffled from behind all the extra supplies they never used. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Usually, when they found her stuffed into a small space, she was out cold and a heavy enough sleeper that they could drag her out without waking her up, but not this time. He knew that Dr. Cander had been there earlier, which probably meant that her meeting had not gone very well and this was her way of coping. Which made the alpha feel sorry for her, because she did have very little control of her life at the moment, and that would make anyone upset.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it okay if I stay?” He said while sliding down the wall to sit against the door frame.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess so,” came a grumbled response followed by a sniffle. Well, now he felt even worse. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perhaps there was something he could do to cheer her up, hopefully even keep her distracted for a while as they healed her bond without her permission. Tony had gotten her some books and puzzles, which she looked at for ten minutes before leaving alone entirely, claiming they were too easy or not her genre. He’d even picked out most of her wardrobe, which seemed to be a bunch of lavish clothing that the third looked very uncomfortable in. Maybe they could get her some new sweaters while they were at it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bucky and I are going to a book store on Friday, do you want to come?” He asked, frowning when he heard another sniffle. “You can pick out whatever you want.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I?” She asked, voice finally clear and sounding somewhat excited.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Mhm</span>
  <span>,” he smiled, happy to hear some improvement.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s the catch?” She muttered. Her face popped up around some of the boxes and looked at him suspiciously. He hadn’t been trying to get her to do anything, but offered an easy task on the spot.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to go eat dinner, and all your other meals without complaining for the next two days,” he stated and listened to her scoff.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eazy peazy,” she huffed before pulling herself out of her hiding spot. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes were slightly red, but he made no comment towards it as she dabbed at them with her sweater sleeves while getting to her feet at the same time as him. She wasn’t giving him the same bitter frown as she always did, instead there was a determined look in her eyes that made Steve want to praise her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll definitely be able to do it,” he smiled. June seemed to remember that they weren’t supposed to get along after he spoke and turned away from him suddenly with a pout, which was even cuter.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The increase of clothing lying around did not entice the third to take anything to her nest and instead she fell asleep around the tower with growing intensity in the three days that followed the doctor's visit. Pepper was not happy with the growing disarray and how messy the tower felt with clothes and blankets suddenly all over the place. Though the beta said nothing after finding June sleeping in a corner with said fabric clutched close, the unhappiness did show up on her face whenever she came across a big scattering of them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June was tired, but didn’t complain which was an improvement even if it was because the reward for doing so was a trip to the book store. Tony wanted to make it a pack outing but Steve stopped him. Being the most recognizable Avenger was not always the best thing, and wouldn’t work out too well if the cramped aisles of a store suddenly filled up with random people looking for autographs. The blond alpha had said it would only be him and his mate going which was how it was going to stay; he liked kept his word.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even though she wasn’t sleeping in her nest her two mates did not mind much, as it meant they got to see the third after her body had given up, snuggling to one of their shirts. It was bad for her body, yes, but they could pick her up and hold her close for a little while without worrying about the girl hissing or snapping at them. Pepper and Steve scolded them a few times but, in the end, they were waiting for June to take the next step so they would enjoy it while it lasted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>On Friday morning June did not felt awful, there was a blur in her left eye which usually meant that she was going to have migraine at some point during the day, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from getting books! In college she had often survived on four hours of sleep or less, depending on whether it was near mid-terms or finals week. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not anymore. Her fitful hours of sleep, without pheromone aides or medication made it feel like she had been up for a couple days as she threw herself around the tower. The copious amounts of discarded clothing did not help her much either as she knew it was some ploy of the doctor to get her to take something to her nest. Which she refused to do, even as her fingers clung onto any and everything for dear life, she met her inner omega in the middle. Nothing to the nest, but sleep anywhere else was fair game.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Most of the clothes Tony had gotten her were in a spare room on the pack floor, that they had told her over and over again was for her if she ever wanted to move in. She didn’t, but frequented it recently in order to get new outfits and hide ones she was never, ever, going to wear. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not wanting to deal with tight, constrictive pants or a shirt she opted for a simple black long-sleeved dress that was slightly fitted around her stomach. It felt somewhat loose against her skin and had soft fabric, which was a plus. She added a tan jacket that ran a bit lower than her dress, and some black ankle boots with a one-inch heel, though with how short she was it didn’t feel like much.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Clothes good, face bad,” Tony said when she joined him in the elevator.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Face fine,” June countered with a frown. Trying to focus on him but failing with the blur still stuck persistently in her vision. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It suddenly dawned on her that she might not be able to read the book titles or even find the right section, but she pushed the thought from her mind. This was a rare opportunity to get out of the tower and she’d been looking forward to it since Steve mentioned it, a little migraine was not going to stop her from getting out.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Breakfast had branched out a little and she slowly ate some scrambled eggs, hash browns, and slices of apple while glowering at Natasha who was drinking coffee in front of her. She’d half expected Steve or Bucky to be there that morning as they would be leaving after she got some food in her, but they were nowhere to be seen. Bruce was off working on some assignment that would take him out of state the next day making the third excited to have one less mate to deal with soon.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What kind of books are you going to buy?” Her alpha asked.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The ones with words in them,” June muttered back.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure you’re old enough for those?” Tony teased while making his own food. The third leveled him with a hateful glare that the other alpha only grinned at in response.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s at least fifth grade reading level I think,” Steve joined the conversation with a joking smile as he walked into the kitchen. “But you look pretty tired, still want to go today?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, and I’m not tired,” she insisted but the three alphas looked at each other with a knowing expression.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Think she’s okay to go?” The blond asked of Natasha. In front of her June furrowed her brows in bitterness, trying to look as angry as possible as the man went around her to ask her </span>
  <em>
    <span>alpha</span>
  </em>
  <span> what she thought.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The red-head wanted to go with her, her inner beast reluctant to let its mate leave the safety of their home without her made her anxious. Yet the girl had been greatly looking forward to it, even putting up with their small touches and conversations during meals to be able to go. If she refused now it would more than likely mean a giant step back in their progress.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s been good, she deserves it,” was the response.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June smiled almost immediately following the comment and Natasha wanted to scent her badly, mark her up before she walked into the city with the barest traces of her mates on her. Thirds weren’t usually a big target for people, because they smelled confusing without their mates, and with them it wasn’t really worth it to fight two people. But she was cute and small, which was a lure for a lot of people regardless of what her second gender was.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to show me what books you picked when you get back though,” the alpha added and made the third falter for a moment.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” she said before going back to her food.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve joined them with a glass of water and some oatmeal concoction that he said was very healthy, but June just thought it looked like a mess. Bucky showed up soon after and within fifteen minutes it was time for them to leave. Natasha watched them go with a smile until the elevator doors closed and she frowned making Tony laugh as he washed his dishes.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You could always follow them,” he offered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’ll be fine,” she grumbled, more so trying to convince herself.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The book store they chose was a huge two-story place that boasted of being the best one in the city, made complete with a café in the back that served fresh bagels and coffee roasted in house. Steve went off to get books for both him and Bucky while the beta was tasked with leading June around to any section she wanted. Though the third knew he was also serving as a type of babysitter to make sure she didn’t wander off or get in trouble.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Since getting in the car, the blur in her vision had moved more to the corner of her eye and almost disappeared by the time they walked through the doors. Only to be replaced by a throbbing pain that grew in intensity as they walked around people and looked through titles and book summaries idly. She had one book so far that she had struggled to read the details of and ultimately picked it from title and cover art alone. It was at least from an author she had read before and liked, so it had that going for it if nothing else.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky was a good guide and took her exactly where she needed, as if he knew the entire layout, he didn’t ask why she liked certain genres, or about the author like people usually did, and thank goodness for that. With the ache in her </span>
  <span>head</span>
  <span> she was not much in the mood for small talk over trying to figure out which books were good based on the few sentences she could make out before giving up.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Each aisle was a mess of pheromones from the multitude of customers milling about, her battered and scent deprived body felt highly uncomfortable without the many shields that had been stripped from her. If she had been marked by her mates, or scented for a moment, it would’ve acted a little bit like a barrier, but with nothing. It made her feel even worse.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t feel good, do you?” He finally spoke to her as she stared blankly at the shelves. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He noticed after she picked book number three only to squint at the title, blink slowly a few times, rest it against her head for a second, and then put it back on the shelf with a frown. She hadn’t been looking too great the past few days anyway, with her lack of sleep, but she seemed even worse today and had rubbed her eyes a few too many times.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was possible that she hadn’t felt good before they even left the tower but pushed past it in order to escape for the day. According to Steve, June had perked up immediately at the mention of going with them to the book store, even if it meant having to behave for her mates for a few days. Putting off her reward for any length of time probably hadn’t even crossed her mind. He didn’t blame her, being stuck on four floors sounded like a nightmare.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked over at him warily to see that he was leveling her with a stern expression, one that said he was not to be lied to.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My brain hurts,” she admitted. “Can I go to the bathroom?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he muttered and led the way. He took the books from her before watching as she disappeared through the doorway. If, when she came out, she still felt unwell he would text Steve to meet them at the checkout so they could finish up and go home.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once in the bathroom June sighed in relief as she closed a stall door and sat carefully down on the toilet before holding her head in her hands with a small groan. Usually, on days like these, she would stay home from work tucked in her artificial nest and try to numb everything with pain killers. Unable to focus or get anything done, but it was different now. She’d earned this outing and she wanted to go!</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although, now that she was leaning against the tiled wall with her head ringing, she kind of wished that she had stayed in the tower instead. Somehow, the throbbing pain combined with her lack of sleep made for a very intense migraine, probably the worst she had ever had and she was stuck in the bathroom. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The longer she sat down the worse she felt as new waves of exhaustion, nausea, and achiness passed through her the more she sat idle. At least if she was at the tower she could curl up in her nest of soft blankets, pass out on a couch, or find a closet to hide in for the rest of the day. Being stuck in a new place, surrounded by people she didn’t know that all had different smells was making it even worse.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>After what felt like twenty minutes, though it was probably more like five, she rose from the seat and unlocked the door before feeling very light headed. She bumped shoulders with someone before making it to the sinks and leaning against the counter shakily, a small whimper escaping as she tightly closed her eyes.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excuse yo-,” the person she bumped almost hissed before actually looking at her. The annoyance changed quickly to concern as she let out a soft coo that almost felt too loud to the third. “You okay, hon?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she mumbled, it didn’t sound convincing.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not a second later she was standing next to her and June glanced at her in the mirror, a tall and lanky woman with wild black hair and skin like milk chocolate. She was more than likely oozing a calming scent but since it was unfamiliar, and not one of her alphas or packmates, she flinched at it instead and leaned away. June didn’t mean to, but it had always been an instant reaction to jerk away from people reaching out to touch or comfort her, and made for a lot of misunderstandings and hurt feelings. It was part of the reason why she always spent so much time alone in her apartment, because it was easier than accidentally offending friends and family that were only trying to help.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thinking about it, even fleetingly, soured her mood even more and June frowned a she looked towards the ground instead of at the face of the worried woman next to her who was likely an alpha. She was at least half a foot taller than the girl and did not let the sudden movement away dissuade her in any way as she pet her head gently.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Poor little third,” she hummed. “Do you want me to call someone for you?” Her long fingers brushed her bangs aside to rest on her forehead for a moment to check her temperature.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June shook her head and tried to move back but the woman persisted and she whined softly, getting touched by another alpha felt completely wrong and made her feel even worse. Her inner omega protested loudly against the injustice, here she was letting a stranger touch her more than she allowed her soulmates to.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No fever, are your mates here?” She questioned and June only shook her head again while leaning further away from her touch. Her hands were somewhat cold and ignited goosebumps across the thirds skin as she shivered, did this woman not know that she shouldn’t touch thirds because it was uncomfortable for them?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though it was more than likely her inner alpha reacting to the omega side of June that looked every bit the weak and vulnerable person that she was at the moment.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t smell so good either, have your mates scent you when you get home,” she tsked. “Let’s get you to the front, have a manager get a hold of them.” She half pulled half dragged June from the bathroom with her hand around her wrist as the third flinched and whined trying to get away. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The lady probably thought she was whimpering from not feeling well and continued to hum and coo at her as if it would be enough to put her at ease. She meant well, which was what made the smaller of them feel even worse, if she was a normal omega it would be fine, but she wasn’t. Between the throbbing pain behind her eyes, spinning vision, and her very being rejecting the strong pheromones emanating from the woman the girl felt a mess.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ma’am,” a familiar voice cut through the film in June’s mind and she instinctively moved towards it. Recognizing Steve’s scent before she saw him reach out and pull her much smaller hand away from the woman’s grip.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June whined again and leaned into his form, breathing a sigh of relief when he steadied her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. He smelled like pack, and the third found herself relaxing against him, almost going limp as he interacted with the other alpha while supporting her. Bucky joined them a few moments after, his refreshing scent clearing the haze in her head enough to look up at the two men to see that Steve did not look happy.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s part of our pack,” Steve explained as the woman eyed him skeptically. Although it was obvious by how the little third had immediately reached for him that what he said was true.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Poor thing looked ready to fall over in the bathroom,” she glanced at June again. “Kept making little hurt sounds, couldn’t leave her in there.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thirds are very sensitive, being touched or soothed by someone outside of pack can be very uncomfortable for them,” Steve said as the woman paled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t know that, sorry hon,” he reached for June’s head again and had to jerk her hand away. It was second nature for an alpha to want to comfort, whatever harm she had caused had not been intentional in the slightest. “Just wanted to help.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, ma’am,” Steve smiled. “We’ll take it from here.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can she walk?” Bucky muttered towards their little packmate.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll be easier like this,” the alpha grunted while picking her up as if she was a child. Other people were giving them curious looks, some of them whispering about what they thought was happening as he situated the third in his arms bridal style. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll get the car,” the beta said before he was gone.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June was aware of the awkward silence between them and tried not to think about how dark his eyes had looked just a moment ago. At the moment he was releasing a calming scent with the occasional coo that was actually quite comforting to her, but he still seemed a little angry and she felt bad for being the reason they had to go.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry we had to leave,” she mumbled looking at her hands. Being carried was strange and reminded her of when she was a child and could still be soothed by her parents. The alpha hummed at her words before looking down at her with a small smile.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” he assured her. “I’m sorry you don’t feel well, we can come back another day.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not mad?” She questioned quietly, completely convinced that he was upset with her for making them leave, because if she hadn’t tagged along, and hadn’t been sick they’d still be there. He frowned and shook his head before seeming to understand what she meant.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because some stranger grabbed you? Yes,” he answered his own question. “Because you’re sick? No.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She whimpered slightly at a new wave of pain as they turned to go outside, and the alpha thanked a man who held the door open for them with smile and nod. Her whole body felt strangely compliant and guilty, usual fire and biting remarks gone as she fought back a flash of nausea. Inner omega pushing her to admit that she had been wrong.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“B-but, I lied,” she whined and Steve purred back at her. “About being okay.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Mhmm</span>
  <span>,” he hummed. “That does call for discipline, but good job admitting it,” he smiled and it made the girl confused. Mixed feelings of content at the praise and anxiety of what might come of breaking the rules. At her noise of uncertainty Steve chuckled softly. “Your mates will decide the appropriate punishment.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>That made her somewhat nervous and a small cloud of anxiety left her, making the alpha counter it with his own warm scent and soft sound of comfort. She still felt bad, because Steve had given her a chance to tag along and because she was too stubborn it ended early. If it’d been one of her mates, she’d probably more than happy to leave early, but the alpha and beta couple weren’t at fault for what had happened to her. They’d just been trying to help.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You won’t do it again, right?” Steve questioned and she shook her head before regretting it, vision blurring at the movement. “Especially not after getting spanked.” She blanked at his words. With all the pinching and poking June had forgotten spanking was even on the list of punishments for breaking the rules. But that was only what Steve was suggesting, in the end it was up to her mates what would happen.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hopefully it would not be that.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>On the way back to the tower June dozed, trying to shield herself from bright rays of sun that peaked through the clouds and seemed to make her headache even worse. Steve sat with her in the back seats and tried to soothe her as best he could with his scent and comforting noises as his mate drove quickly, but carefully.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They hadn’t been gone long, maybe forty-five minutes to an hour at most, which had been enough of an absence for Natasha to go shopping while Bruce continued to prepare for his mission. The third was very scent deprived and in pain from the dull ache behind her eyes, which she grunted and whimpered about every few minutes. There was a list of things she needed, the very top of them being sleep and her mates, which Steve would stress to the working man as soon as they returned. Now was the time to be firm.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She moved to get out on her own when they arrived and Steve merely huffed before picking her up once more, cooing again when the movement jostled her slightly. With his enhanced strength, and how small the girl was, it felt like she weighed next to nothing and the alpha made a mental note to tell Natasha to beef up her menu.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jarvis took them to the floor her remaining mate was on and the blond alpha stepped out of the elevator, the beta going off by himself to grab some medicine. June opened her eyes blearily to look around, conscious enough to know they were on a new level she had yet to explore, but not well enough to do anything but whine softly. The man in question was near the back of the lab and turned just in time to catch their approach with wide eyes.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened?” Bruce exclaimed, immediately putting down what he was working on to reach out for the little third. Steve handed her off carefully and watched as the girl resisted for a second before seeming to melt into her mate's chest as he settled into a chair and raised his hand to her forehead.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Head hurts,” June mumbled, eyes heavy with fatigue. Bruce’s inner alpha jumped into action immediately as he hummed and released a soothing scent before cupping the side of her face gently.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s exhausted, scent deprived, and has a headache,” Steve explained. “All that combined gets you, pliable June.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This happened at the book store?” He asked and Steve nodded, crossing his arms.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She was in the bathroom and a worried, albeit very pushy alpha, pulled her out to get a </span>
  <span>manager</span>
  <span>,” the other alpha said. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce growled before he could stop himself and was surprised when the girl in his arms whimpered in response, small hands fisting in the fabric of his shirt. His first thought was at how adorable her reaction had been before he purred softly, the sound and feel of it against her skin doing its job to relax her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thirds don’t like contact from anyone but their mates, or pack,” Bruce added the last part with a nod towards the other alpha.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I Wouldn’t say that’s common knowledge,” Steve said. Not defending the woman in any way but informing nonetheless. “June looked particularly uncomfortable by the contact, probably her omega bits trying to get away, apparently it makes them feel sick.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wanted to snarl as he imagined the girl with someone else but stopped himself short, because the noise would only further dismay the third in his arms. There was time for him to be angry and bitter about it later, what was important at the moment was scenting and taking care of his mate who was in dire need of some attention.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They spoke a little longer until Bucky joined them with Tony in tow, the two of them had argued briefly about whether or not they were comfortable giving pills to a girl who had tried to overdose on them recently. Which was an easy question to answer. A bottle of water was offered to Bruce and nothing else, as June was in and out of </span>
  <span>consciousness</span>
  <span> as it was anyway.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony said he would finish what Bruce was doing in the lab and he could read up on the rest of his mission while cuddling June on the pack floor. As soon as the other alpha offered, he was on the move, giddy at the opportunity to spend time with his mate right up against his skin, like he’d been itching to do since they brought her back with them. There was also the matter of discipline that he and Natasha would need to talk about, as their little third not only lied, but put herself at risk by doing so.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve followed them down to the pack floor with the things Bruce would need to go over before leaving the next day which was an information pad with all his notes and observations as well as numerous files for review. There were plenty of comfortable couches and chairs but he knew the perfect place to settle down with her and was soon smooshing into a giant </span>
  <span>lovesac</span>
  <span> that three of them could easily lounge on. Once he was in an acceptable position, his head elevated enough to get work done without getting a crick in his neck, the other alpha left.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t start working right away and took the time to look over his drowsy mate who had made little sounds and nonsense comments as she was moved around. Carefully, he removed her boots and jacket before letting her sink into the new accommodations, which she did slowly afterwards. Her eyes opened for a moment, finding his face with a tired glare that fell away as soon as he released a wave of soothing pheromones.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The combination of being on the pack floor, in a bit of a daze, and being almost on top of her mate, who was pumping out an overpowering scent, made June lean further into the source. She moved more onto his form, head resting on his chest as she curled in on herself slightly, she took a stuttering breath before relaxing against him. A soft sound of contentment left her and he was soon back to purring in response, the deep rumble of it lulling her into a deeper sleep. He moved her slightly more on top of him so he could use both his arms, the left one already moving to gently caress the exposed skin of her neck.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Within fifteen minutes of getting back to work, June resting against him, Tony was there to check on him with a salacious smirk on his face as he snapped a picture of them.  But Bruce could not even bring himself to be angry or annoyed at his antics when he was so irreversibly happy with what was happening. His inner alpha was beaming, elated to finally be so close to their mate, and was that a purr he heard from her?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce shushed the man at the realization and the two of them listened carefully to hear a very short, very soft trill of contentment from the third. Tony cooed on instinct while the other alpha leaned down to kiss the top of her head gently. He and Natasha would sometimes sit and work together like this, but she would finish and leave him, or they’d fight about who should be big or little spoon. This was completely different and he couldn’t wait for June to finally accept them so he could do this all the time.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need to buy one of those </span>
  <span>lovesacs</span>
  <span> for my room,” Tony groaned softly. He fumbled with his phone for a moment before putting it up to his ear and walking away. “Pepper, babes-,” his voice faded off as he got further out. Alone again, the alpha nuzzled his third once more before settling back into his work.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Somewhere, across the city, Natasha snarled in jealously at the image that had been sent to her with an array of emojis and hearts. It had been sent to her in a newly created group chat that Tony had been named </span>
  <em>
    <span>Junie is a cutie</span>
  </em>
  <span> and included everyone in the pack. Her inner alpha was nearly spitting in rage about how unfair it was that he seemed to be the only one who ended up hugging her all the time. Which wasn’t true, but she let it linger out of bitterness as she raced home.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>On the way back to the tower, after asking in the chat what had happened, the alpha learned about the book store and the thirds poor condition. Which made her feel a little guilty as she had been the one to clear her for going out that morning, but if she had said no the girl would dislike her even more, so she was a bit conflicted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she came upon them Bruce was already looking up at her approach, his expression full of nothing but satisfaction and love as he looked at her while rubbing small circles on June’s back.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you have any work to do?” He asked in a soft whisper, her eyes trained on the girl dozing on him when she made a sound similar to a purr. The alpha’s eyes widened in surprise while her mate nodded with a small smile.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be right back,” her voice was just as quiet.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She returned with her own information pad to see that Bruce and June had moved slightly, making room for her to join them on the other side of the sleeping girl. His pheromones were strong and she let out her own to mix them together, something that the third was not used to. The girl between them shifted and whimpered something they didn’t quite catch before she settled again, this time leaning more towards Natasha.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce followed and nuzzled the other alpha to make her look his way before they kissed each other briefly, their gazes flicking towards the third between them once they were done. Natasha scented her for a moment, fingers brushing against the mating gland on her neck that earned them another soft trill.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They didn’t say anything else and let their emotions mix through the bond, settling into a comfortable silence. At one point June roused, stretching a little while slowly realizing where she was and trying to push them away before Bruce squeezed the mating gland on the back of her neck to get her to relax. Natasha cooed at her when she sagged back down, dazed once again by their scents the sudden pressure at her neck.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>After that the alphas spoke in hushed voices about how best to proceed with the third, and the matter of her punishment for breaking the rules. The first thing to happen would be moving her down to the pack floor as it would help her sleep better if she was around all of their scents. Dr. Cander had said she would come to them on her own but at this point, with what had happened and how she’d basically forced herself into an </span>
  <span>unnecessary</span>
  <span> sickness, she’d likely never come down.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being on the pack floor would ensure that she’d spend more time with all of them and hopefully get used to her mates and the others faster than if she was still sleeping on the medical level. They’d give her a tablet so she could look up and order books, puzzles, or whatever would keep her occupied and, somewhat, happy. But as far as leaving the tower went, she’d lost that privilege for at least the next few weeks. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doctor’s visits would be a with both or one of them from now on, that way if she had any questions or concerns, they would know about it right away. Instead of having to hear it from the beta who might word it differently and wouldn’t hold the same emotions as the little third would surely display. All of this would be relayed to her as soon as Bruce returned, giving June two to three days to wonder about her punishment and move her things down to the pack floor.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could do it right away and finally get some good sleep in her own room, which was right next to theirs, or struggle for a couple nights on the medical floor. Either way, Bruce was expecting her to be situated by the time he got back, or they’d add another spanking onto the five she was already going to get. He was going to give them to her when he returned, that way, if she needed some coddling afterwards, he would have the time to do it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>For now, they were going to enjoy June while she recovered some much-needed sleep, showering her in their scents as much as possible so they would linger on her, even if she washed, for many days. The three of them together smelled like perfection and the two alphas couldn’t wait for them to always be that cohesive.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June woke up early the next morning, groggy and sluggish in her nest as her brain tried to download anything it could to explain all the time she had lost from the day before. The last thing she remembered clearly was being put into the car with Steve and Bucky before everything became a mishmash of loose memories. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A mess of pheromones, the comforting sound and feeling of someone purring, light touches on her neck, and a single moment of clarity that was whisked away just as quickly as it appeared. She could recall Bruce and Natasha near her and how she’d tried to push them away before a fog came over her and she was gone again. And she reeked of both of them! What did they do, rub themselves all over her body?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Someone had changed her into an oversized, plush, sweater that she did not remember seeing the day she went shopping with Tony. It felt like a cloud against her skin and she tried to snuggle into it all the more, doing her best to ignore the scent’s she’d been doused in by her mates, at least it didn’t smell like them as well. The good thing, or was it a bad thing? She felt amazingly well rested. Headache? Gone, what headache? Fatigue? Nonexistent.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The day before felt like a surreal dream that filled her with warmth the </span>
  <span>more</span>
  <span> she tried to figure out what all had happened. Her inner beta and omega were content, for once, and she felt no tug or urge for anything, the only thing her body needed at the moment was food and maybe a shower. Though, at the thought of washing their scents away, June felt somewhat uneasy, her inner second genders not wanting to get rid of the source of their good night's sleep. Part of her agreed and the other part felt like tearing off her skin to escape it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Again, they had done what they wanted without asking her. Stubbornly, she pulled herself into the bathroom and took off the sweater before deciding for a bath this time around. With her stomach aching to be filled June drank some chilly water from the sink before idly watching the tub fill up. It was strange that her life had led to this point, strange and unfair.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As a child she’d wanted what everyone wanted, to find her mate, the one person that was meant for them in the whole world, and be happy, she’d been so excited. Seeing some of her friends present early, or find their mates by chance, proudly showing off their identical soul marks. She watched them with envy and anticipation and then one of her brown eyes had started to turn green and people said they were jealous of her, for having two mates.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>With those thoughts swirling around June stepped into the tub, hissing softly at the heated water that almost immediately began to turn her pale skin a bright, flushed, red.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’d been jealous of her until the years dragged on and it changed into pity. She tucked her legs to her chest and frowned at their mixed scents that seemed to ooze off her skin like a strong perfume. For a time, June had even felt sorry for herself, her mood fluctuating from happy to sad with no explanation until her doctor told her it was from her struggling mates.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which meant that they had found each other, and soon, if she helped them and proved she was there, they’d find her as well! But they didn’t, and finally she had tired of being unwanted and alone.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The tub is full, little Kit,” Jarvis’ voice informed her, pulling her from her thoughts with a sniffle.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had very little control of her life at the moment, and even then, her body had begun to betray her as well, inner omega chastising her decision to try and get rid of their scents. If they had come for her earlier it would’ve been a very different situation, but as she was now, with her broken down confidence and years of self-doubt. She didn’t like herself enough to even give it a chance. Anger and sarcasm were her default emotions that she relied on to hide everything else.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks Jarvis,” she muttered, forcing herself to move forward in the near scalding water to turn off the faucet.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being surrounded by their scents was confusing her, because she liked it but at the same time accepting it felt like a form of defeat. Her body needed and craved their affection and little touches yet she couldn’t help but snap and snarl as they had yet to earn her trust. Did they think that, just because they had matching soul marks, she would automatically forgive everything they had done? Maybe that was what everyone else wanted her to do, but this was one of the few things she still had control over and she was going to hold onto </span>
  <span>it</span>
  <span> for dear life.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have three days to move your stuff down to the pack floor,” Natasha informed the third. Her hair was wet and the scent that had seemed to radiate off her the night before had dulled slightly, but Natasha didn’t show her disappointment on her face.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“B-but,” the girl faltered, expression tight with apprehension.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll still have your own room,” the alpha stated. “Or you can sleep in ours.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not a chance,” the third hissed, eyes turning down in a dark glare.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bruce will be back in three days, and if you’re not finished, we’ll add another spanking to your punishment,” Natasha said, being sure to make eye contact with June. The girl turned away defiantly, not even trying to argue the need for discipline as part of her had known she should’ve stayed home the day before, but ignored it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there any way to change the punishment?” She muttered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” her alpha replied blandly, but otherwise seemed to be in a good mood. She set down a plate of pancakes in front of the girl as she grumbled about how she hadn’t been spanked since she was a child. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a nice smell coming from Natasha, one that June had yet to scent on the woman that made her blush in embarrassment that soon turned to a frown. It was all of their pheromones combined, the three of them, mixing together to form one complete scent that reminded her of camping and burning wood. Of forests and staying up late in the dark, faces illuminated by the fire and suddenly the third felt warm and confused. Was this what always happened to someone after they were scented by their mates?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks,” she mumbled looking at the two pancakes on her plate with some fruit on the side. Her inner omega sighed in contentment before she realized her slip up. She’d been refusing to thank them, at least her alpha’s anyway, for anything, because it meant talking to them more than she liked to. Petty, yes, but somehow satisfying.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re very welcome,” Natasha smiled, settling down in front of her like she had the day before. June looked away from her bitterly, suddenly embarrassed by the word she hadn’t meant to say. “When Bruce </span>
  <span>returns,</span>
  <span> we’ll also go over some new rules, some things are going to change.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What things?” She asked while grabbing her fork.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll find out in three days,” the alpha said and June clicked her tongue in irritation.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now that a countdown had been added to her punishment June was dreading it even more. Her dad usually used his belt, and would often begin to unbuckle it as a warning that they better behave, but what were they going to use. Their hands?</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you all enjoyed the little bit of, much needed, fluff in this chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The relief that June believed would come with Bruce’s absence did not amount to much when there was a punishment promised once he returned. Combined with the bitterness that accompanied each haul of blankets down to the pack floor the third was a grumpy snappy mess, even more so than usual. It took her a day to start moving her nest into the new room, she probably would’ve taken longer had Tony not muttered something about how the alpha might even return early. She was not looking to add another spanking to however many they already intended to pin her with.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky, Steve, and Pepper offered to help her move things but she’d merely glared and growled lowly at them until they left her alone. Her mate’s scents still lingered slightly on her skin and had helped her to sleep somewhat comfortably on the medical floor, but the second night sleeping on the other level was completely different.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her room didn’t particularly resonate with any singular scent, it was a blended mix of everyone that seemed stuck to the walls and lulled her to sleep. It was better than being by herself, but still fell short of the rest she had gotten while being in direct contact with her alphas, though she resolved to never let that happen again.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When the room she’d gotten used to was finally empty of all her things, which wasn’t much, June sat in it quietly for a little bit, realizing she would most miss the giant wall of windows that she’d grown to love. Her new place was a little bigger, with a wall that mirrored the one in the den area and was probably a screen, but she had no idea how to turn it on. The bathroom was even nicer than before, though there weren’t as many windows to look out at the city, there was a plush armchair next to a small bookcase that she’d been told to fill up.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tony had given her an information pad connected to his account and told her to get whatever she wanted, as many things, at any price, for any hobbies that she had or had ever felt the urge to try. She would’ve much rather looked up books in the store but after the last blunder of an outing she was sure they wouldn’t let her out for a while yet.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A good chunk of the third day that Bruce was gone went to reading excerpts of novels in the safety of a closet on the gym floor. Natasha was starting to get handsy with the other alpha gone and June was tired of feeling the ghost of her hand hovering above her head or neck during meals and whenever they crossed paths. It was usually her other mate that would ruffle her hair or squeeze her shoulder even as she growled and moved away from him, but with the man gone the job had shifted.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So, she hid and picked out about fifteen or so books that looked interesting enough before moving on to jigsaw puzzles and handheld metal ones that she used to carry around in her purse. Anything less than five hundred pieces wasn’t worth it, and though she still fretted over selecting the really expensive ones, there were five in her virtual cart when she finished. There were a number of things she’d favorited as well, puzzles, books, paper crafts, and succulents, though she didn’t quite get how someone could send those in the mail.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After finishing she scrambled out of the closet and made her way towards the elevator. Another reason she liked the gym floor was for the people who frequented it most, Bucky and Steve. Though she was still somewhat wary of the alpha of the pair, because he was difficult when he was angry, their scents had become associated with a sense of security after the book store incident. Steve had been the one to carry her, even if she disliked it, and had pulled her away from the woman who didn’t understand how to treat thirds.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That didn’t mean she spoke to them more or sought them out or anything, but if they were in the room and perhaps asked her a question, she wouldn’t growl at them like she did her mates. She’d stopped glaring at them as well, and even muttered greetings at the two, which made Natasha irritated with envy.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Jarvis?” June asked as she waited for the elevator.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, little kit?” Came the voice she was waiting for.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Which floor is Tony on?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr. Stark is in the lab.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn it,” she hissed softly, glad no one was around to hear it and pinch her. “Can you tell him I finished picking things out?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She’d been given access and permission to pick out anything she wanted, but at the same time, she wasn’t allowed to buy anything until they checked it. In case she tried to sneak in something that would hurt her, which she thought was dumb, but made sense. After all, there were any number of weapons and drugs she could find on the internet.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m telling him right now.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she muttered as the doors opened.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was nearing dinner now and June was not excited. For the food, the dwindling hours, and the impending doom that was Bruce returning from his mission to dish out her long-awaited punishment. She’d been trying not to think about it, because she wasn’t even sure how she felt. Being threatened with spanking made a hot wave of shame wash over her, bringing with it fear, anxiety, and bitterness.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Part of her wanted to hide, knowing that she would have to bear herself to them completely and it would likely be the most vulnerable she had been in a long time. She went through different cycles of resentment at them for everything before switching to indifference at being worried about something that would be over in five minutes. Here she was making a big deal out of silly spankings that would be done quickly and then she could crawl back into one of her closet forts and ignore them for a while.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All in all, she was a bundle of nerves that sat down for dinner with a glare and a frown that Tony eyed curiously as he walked towards the counter.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I was expecting you to spend more money,” he said while pulling a drawer open.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But I spent a lot,” June balked at him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Three hundred dollars is nothing,” the alpha scoffed. “Next time, </span>
  <span>go</span>
  <span> wild.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Easy for you to say,” the third grumbled in response.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She was used to being frugal, getting things on sale and for cheap having been ingrained in her since she was a child watching her mother return a bag of chips because it was twenty cents more than it was supposed to be. It was something that followed her in all aspects of her life, to her crappy apartment, wardrobe, food selection, and hobbies. Cheap was better, cheap was easier.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Even with someone telling her she could get whatever she wanted, that nothing was out of reach anymore, it was hard to flip the switch and suddenly not care. She’d opted for the used versions of all her books and closed out of puzzles that were too expensive on impulse before remembering what the man had said.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay, I got you,” he grinned. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June didn’t know what that meant in the slightest and elected to ignore him, as half of the conversations she shared with the man turned into him trying to get a rise out of her. Normally she would go along with it for a little while, but she was not in the mood for it at the moment, especially not with her jailer, Natasha, so close by.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Dinner was a quiet affair with the two alphas talking idly while the third pushed her food around her plate, taking the occasional bite as she stewed in her thoughts about the coming day. Her mate didn’t bother her about not eating much because she was looking a lot better, weight wise, in the past couple weeks. No longer the shriveled husk that she had been the first day spent in the tower, though she was still very light that could be accredited to how short she was.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as enough food was consumed June was back in the elevator towards the pack floor where her discarded information pad was. She’d exhausted each of the floors of their secrets, rooms, and closets and had little else to do besides wander around aimlessly, which sounded pretty dreadful. Her nest was complete, there was nothing left for her to move, or sneak, down to her new room and she’d probably have to wait at least a week for everything she’d picked out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Which led to her watching videos of people going on adventures, exploring caves, and backpacking for days on end. It was one of the things she missed most and wondered if they’d ever let her do it again. Hiking had been a release for her. The forest and mountain trails were scarce of other people and there were no thick scents to make her feel uncomfortable. No one to catch her confusing pheromones and scrunch up their noses in disgust.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She missed pressing flowers and leaves between the pages of old books and sitting at lookout points by herself, imagining a different life where she wasn’t so alone. Or feeling the wind on her face after a treacherous hike and feeling like she’d accomplished something big, something grand. Near the end, when she’d decided to stop fighting, it’d been a while since she’d gone anywhere, her body too weak and mood too sour. She was healthier now, but trapped.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When this was all over, she’d pick up and go. Take the rest of her savings, sell as much as she could, and disappear. Somewhere they’d never find her again.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“June looks,” Tony paused. “Tense.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He’d waited for the third to leave before bringing up the topic of how on edge the girl had been the last couple days. Not reacting to all his teases and tricks that would normally earn some sort of growled response or attempt at a counter. Instead, she glared, which was much less fun for the man.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s dreading her punishment tomorrow,” Natasha explained as she collected the thirds plate.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, mystery solved,” he chuckled. “</span>
  <span>What's</span>
  <span> she getting?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Five spankings,” she said. “She’s being a bit dramatic,” the alpha sighed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a little,” the other agreed. It was a few more minutes before they spoke again after Natasha finished washing the dishes she’d used and put them up to dry.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What kind of stuff did she buy?” She asked curiously. They still didn’t know too much about what the girl liked and disliked besides what they had scrounged from online sources. She didn’t have much of a digital footprint, and kept their conversations rather short when asked about herself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A bunch of stuff to keep her busy, you’ll see. I do see a bit of a theme though,” he grinned.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“All the puzzles had to do with plants and national parks, and half of the books were about people going on adventures and traveling,” he said thinking back to the cart. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The things he’d picked out for her weeks ago were far from what she was interested in, which made him feel a little bit better about it. As he had assumed she rejected them out of spite instead of mere disinterest.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We can take her places once she’s better behaved and gets scented regularly,” she nodded. Greeting Bucky as he entered on the tail end of the conversation.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Take who? Where?” The beta questioned as he walked by.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“June, hiking and traveling,” Natasha answered and he grunted in response.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Bruce doing okay?” Bucky muttered as he grabbed a glass of water.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Coming back tonight,” Tony nodded.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June spent the rest of the evening watching videos and reading articles of people traveling, wishing it was her instead, before trudging towards her room and tucking in for the night. Natasha stayed up late, waiting for her other mate to return and when he did the two of them checked the state of their third’s room together. Purring in response to the sleeping form of the girl cocooned in her reconstructed nest, completely unaware of her small audience.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In the morning June waited as long as possible to show up for breakfast and looked away from her newly returned mate with a small frown that Bruce smiled warmly at.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll go over some new rules while we eat, and then give you your punishment,” he explained as she sagged in her chair.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she grumbled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I need you to understand,” Bruce said sternly. “These are to protect you and keep you healthy, not punish you. Okay?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” the third muttered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The man looked to his other mate behind the counter who gave a small indication of her head to keep going. Over the years he’d gotten used to being away from Natasha for extended periods of time and they always scented and marked each other when reunited, but it was the first time he’d been away from June for a few days. And he had to stop himself, and his inner alpha, from pulling the unwilling girl into his arms and breathing deeply.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“All the other rules remain unchanged, and these new ones are for you and only you,” he started and the girl glowered at him. “Your visits with Dr. Cander will now include one of us-,” he started and June groaned.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But you said-,” he cut her off with a wave of commanding pheromones. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not asking, I’m telling,” he stated and she glared at him darkly. “You’re grounded to the tower for the next three weeks,” he waited for a protest but she only kept her unhappy stare on him. “After that you can go shopping with one of us, or anyone else after you’ve been either scented or marked.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But marking is for-,” she started again and he clicked his tongue, silencing her. She was getting better at picking up when he wanted her to be quiet and when she could argue. As he’d already stated, he wasn’t asking. “Fine,” she hissed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha handed her a plate of food that she barely looked at, too wrapped up in thinking about what marking meant and if scenting would be the better option to notice. She sat on the other side of the table, next to Bruce who squeezed her knee.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Brings us to another rule, you have to let us scent you at least once a week. The only other option is to sleep in our bed one night a week, pick your poison,” he snapped when she made a noise of protest halfway through. “You get sick without our scents.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do I get to pick who scents me?” June mumbled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Both of us will,” Natasha informed her. The third grumbled about it, a very soft and upset whine, escaping her before she stopped it with a frown.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, Dr. Cander will be coming today after lunch, one of us will sit in on your visit,” Bruce said as the other alpha tapped the girl's plate to get her to eat. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t there some law about doctor patient confidentiality?” June snapped, feeling like she’d become much more restricted in the past few minutes then she had ever been in her life.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Not for thirds,” he smiled. Although he wasn’t sure if that was true or not there was no way the girl would know the difference, it was one of those things that was different for each state. “After you’re done eating, we’ll give you your spankings and you’ll be free until twelve.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was barely eight thirty, and her punishment shouldn’t take more than five to ten minutes, depending on how much of a fight she put up. It would give her plenty of time to calm down before having to speak to the doctor with one of them present.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On the other side of the table June was quietly freaking out. She’d woken up with the resolve to take her punishment without a sound and listen to the new rules without issue, but why were they so outrageous? She disliked the doctor’s visits as it was, but adding one of them onto it was even worse because she had to talk about herself and she didn’t want them to hear anything. Being grounded made sense, scenting would suck, but marking was completely different.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That was something people did when they were in the late stages of courting and could be anything from a bite mark, not on the mating glands, a bruise, or a hicky. The latter being the most common, and she was not ready for either one of them to be sucking on her skin as if they had been dating for months. It meant she was already claimed and told others to back off, but it was embarrassing, scenting was the more sought-after option. Sure, she’d imagined being marked by her mates at some point, but now it’d feel like they were trying to make up for all the years they left her alone. She wouldn’t let them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If they were hoping she’d somehow have a stroke and choose to spend a night in their bed instead of being scented they were crazy. The only way she would sleep in the same room as them was if they took her there themselves, and she’d definitely put up a fight.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After breakfast they let her pick between doing the punishment there or on the pack floor and </span>
  <span>soon</span>
  <span> they were in the elevator, June standing between them as if she was in shackles and couldn’t move. She walked numbly towards a couch, Bruce’s hand at her back to lead her in the right direction. Until he was sitting down in front of her and guiding her to follow. He had her lay down across his legs, a rumble in his chest which translated into something like a purr that helped her relax as he smoothed his hands over her legs.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“There we go, </span>
  <span>shhh</span>
  <span>,” he whispered when she whimpered softly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was so humiliating she wanted to cry, and the feeling of him touching her was both relieving to her inner omega, and irksome for the inner beta who felt it was embarrassing.  She hated it, hated them, hated herself. With her cheeks blazing in shame June looked out and away only to see Natasha immediately by her side, so the third turned the opposite direction towards the couch instead.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>One of his hands found her neck and rubbed at her mating gland, making her body slump more into the couch despite how she resisted. At the same time muttering out little praises that made her feel good despite the inner turmoil that was twisting her stomach in knots.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Only five, we’ll leave your pants on, it’ll go quick,” he hummed. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She tensed when his hand left her skin for a moment before cracking back down on her left cheek and then just as fast to the right one. The first one made her squeak and the second earned a whimper before she bit down on her lip to silence the noises.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Three left, you’re doing so well,” it was Natasha’s voice this time. June’s omega responded to the praise and she felt sick, body turning against her once more as she relaxed and almost made a soft sound of contentment for pleasing them. As if she should be happy that they were punishing her!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She shouldn’t be here, not with her mates, not in the tower, not anywhere. She was there for them and their bond that they wanted to keep. If she was healthy and well behaved the bond would be strong, she could’ve been anyone.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What June was bad at, among many things, was showing her emotions and letting them out in a healthy way. Since presenting, and realizing that there was a good chance she’d be alone for the rest of her life, she’d gotten good at faking it and bottling everything up until she exploded for a day. The anger, quick reactions, and sarcasm, were her ways of coping and forcing everything down. She’d been resisting yelling at them for leaving her alone since the first week in the tower. Sure, she snapped at them, and growled around every corner, but that was normal.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What came next was the crying and absolutely abysmal mood that usually kept her bedridden for a day to put all the pieces back together.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That day was today.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With the next two spankings she was mostly quiet, only letting out a small grunt and a hiss when his hand went back to rub it afterwards. Promising that they were almost done, one more to go and she could leave, she was being such a good third. The last one brought a soft sad sound that Bruce hushed before sitting her up on his lap, careful of the newly tender skin on her bottom.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Our third did so well,” he copied his other mate. Natasha came into view as well but June merely looked away, eyes glaring off into the distance as they tried to get her attention. “You know why we did this, right?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she muttered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it going to happen again?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, good girl,” he hummed, squeezing her mating gland once more. This time it had the opposite effect and June seemed to wince in pain before she jerked away from him to stumble onto her feet.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I can go now?” She grunted, trying really hard not to cry bitter, frustrated, tears in front of them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Bruce and Natasha exchanged wary glances but ultimately nodded and she turned away from them immediately, ignoring the new discomfort that came with her punishment. As soon as the elevator doors closed, she leaned against the wall with a frown before her eyes began to water, was she really going to be able to leave from here in four and a half months?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Did she want to leave and disappear into the world, or just disappear altogether? Everything was mixed up in her head at the moment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On her way to the medical floor the elevator stopped and one of the last people she wanted to see got in just as a couple tears escaped. His initial smile at seeing her there fell away immediately as she hurriedly wiped away the wetness from her cheeks and looked at the wall instead of at him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Tony asked. It might’ve been the first time June had ever heard him sound so serious.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>June ignored him and continued to look down and away as the elevator resumed its movements, hopefully taking her to the medical floor where she was planning to sit in her old room and stare out the windows. But Tony wasn’t having that and let out a wave of soothing pheromones that only made her lean further away, sniffing as softy as possible, to try and control herself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“June,” he said tentatively. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“M fine,” she mumbled, but didn’t look at him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The alpha knew better than to take her word for it and frowned, knowing that she had gotten her punishment put the whole situation into perspective. Had Bruce and Natasha not made sure that the girl was okay afterwards? Or had she faked it in order to hide herself away somewhere? Probably the latter, which meant she was going to disappear for a while, perhaps the last thing she actually needed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her scent was sour with unhappiness that she was desperately trying to cover up with a faint wave of disdain that paled in comparison to the more urgent smell of gloom in the air. She still wouldn’t look at him no matter how he changed his pheromones, and though he didn’t want to grab her, because she hated touching, he wasn’t going to let her run away either.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously a lie,” he scoffed, but there was still no reaction. “Please look at me,” he whispered, but she wouldn’t. “Junie,” he tried for a nickname but is disappeared into the silence.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In the quiet few moments between passing the gym floor and moving towards medical the air took on a new salty tinge as a few more tears ran down the thirds cheeks before being collected on her sleeves. Making the alpha’s heart constrict painfully as his inner alpha snarled at his body to move and comfort its packmate who clearly needed it even if she refused to admit it. He didn’t like being the bad guy, and would much rather pick on and tease her like usual, but there was no way </span>
  <span>he</span>
  <span> could let her go now that he’d seen her in such a state.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When the doors opened to her desired floor June kept her face angled away from him as she started to walk out of the elevator until he grabbed her wrist and stayed static in the small space. Without a word she tugged on her arm, trying to get away from him, pulling harder when he didn’t budge, a whine leaving her lips. At the sad noise Tony felt his heart squeeze in anguish.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me what’s wrong,” he stated with a forceful voice he wasn’t used to. Alpha pheromones coming out strong and demanding, </span>
  <span>radiating</span>
  <span> onto her small form until she finally relented.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to be here,” she whispered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“With me?” He asked, maybe there was someone else in the pack she liked more.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“With anyone, anywhere. I don’t want to be anywhere anymore,” she said. She was still looking away from him, face hidden behind a curtain of hair that he wanted to push out of the way to look at her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“June,” the alpha said in a pained voice.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>None of them had forgotten how they found her all those nights ago, how small and tortured she looked, nor the fact that they’d only discovered her because she was giving up. How could they forget? Yet it was something that hadn’t been addressed since it happened, which was a mistake now that he was looking at the clearly still struggling third. They’d never sat her down to talk about it or sent for anyone to help her either, besides Dr. Cander anyway, but the man was a bond doctor not a therapist.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Here was a girl who had been suffering alone for years, waiting for mates that didn’t even know she existed until it was almost too late to save her. But had they actually saved her? Or were they, at this point, prolonging her pain?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He remembered, all at once, the first time they had spoken to each other over the phone and she said that none of it mattered anymore. It was his turn to whine as he tried to figure out what he could possibly say to change her mind.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Your mates-,” she </span>
  <span>cut</span>
  <span> him off with a growl.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Care about the bond and each other, not me,” she growled, tugging at her arm again. Tony had heard enough of the pain in her voice at that point and would not regret his next action.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“Look at me,” </span>
  </b>
  <span>he commanded. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, her head lifted to look at him, unable to resist the alpha command from someone in her pack. Some strands of hair were stuck to her cheek where salty tears were now flowing freely down her face that was scrunched up in anger and agony. He couldn’t handle the sight of her looking so distraught in front of him, and reached to wipe some of the tears away only for her to try and move away from him. Instead of using another command he pulled her closer to him with a warning growl that made her flinch.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the only reason I’m still alive,” she mumbled, covering her face with her free hand.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that really what you think of yourself?” He said while leaning down to her level and easing her other wrist away until her face was uncovered once more. With his thumb he brushed away some tears and tucked her hair behind her ear, pushing away her hands when she tried to resist him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I waited,” she whispered. “And they never came for me, they only showed up when the bond was in trouble.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, June,” he sighed shakily. “They didn’t know,” he brushed another trail away.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t make it okay,” she snapped. Her eyebrows furrowed at his attempt for an explanation, before she continued. “They had each other, you, and everyone else. A whole pack,” her bottom lip trembled until she set her eyes in a glare. “I had no one.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>At that, she jerked back suddenly, trying again to get away from the alpha who immediately latched onto her shoulder and pulled her flush against his chest. Tears soaked his shirt as she growled and beat her small fists against him in an attempt to get him to let go of her. She grumbled in frustration, wanting to disappear after everything that she’d revealed while Tony processed what she said with a bitter expression. Eyes set into a dark glare as he questioned the resolve of his packmates.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Had they not apologized yet? Where were those people who had cried and wept over the girl when she was unconscious? Had they jumped ahead to a time where June had forgiven them?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy you’re here,” the alpha said with a soft, albeit, forced smile. He was holding himself back from finding her mates and knocking some sense into them, if he could anyway, they were too sturdy for their own good. “I have fun talking to you.” He really did.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t lie,” she mumbled into his chest.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not,” he assured her. “No one else humors me here. I don’t care about the bond, I care about you,” he hummed. Once again releasing a wave of soothing pheromones to cover up her bitter and depressed ones. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She’d stopped hitting him when she realized he wasn’t going to let her go, until the elevator started to move again and she resumed her fight to get away, not wanting anyone else to see her breaking down. Her scent suddenly exuding terror and fear of exposing her feelings once more. He seemed to understand and hit the next button, letting them off on a floor she had not yet been given permission to explore. Although, even the lure of mystery was not enough to break her out of her explosive mood.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Still want to die?” He questioned and she nodded against his chest. “Well, too bad. Not going to happen while I’m here, you know what we can do instead?” She didn’t answer but he continued anyway. “Watch movies and eat junk, Chinese food, candy, salt, carbs, makes everything better,” he hummed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>At this point he might as well have been talking to himself, but the third was no longer trying to get away, so he took that as an improvement and continued on regardless.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Jarvis,” he called.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Think you can order us some food?” He asked and June finally looked up at him with teary eyes that nearly melted his heart. Her face was a mess, red cheeks and eyes, tear trails, and a runny nose that had more than likely gotten some snot on his shirt, but he could change it, no biggie.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shall I get the usual?” The voice responded.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your favorite candy?” Tony questioned of the girl.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What if I just want to be alone?” She mumbled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Ooo</span>
  <span>,” he winced in fake discomfort. “Sorry, that is not one of the options. The answer I was looking for was gummies, chocolate, or sour candy,” he shook his head. “Or maybe you want to combine them, sour gummies? They’re very popular. Sour chocolate?” He offered and she shook her head in disgust. “Yeah, that sounds bad,” he agreed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The alpha proceeded to list of a few numbers of meals he’d like Jarvis to order in an hour's time, as it was barely nine fifteen in the morning. When the elevator started moving again, after he pushed the pack floor button, June renewed her attempts to get away, eliciting small growls that broke off into whine and whimpers.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to see them,” she hissed. “Let me go already,” she grunted trying to push away from him again.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to run away?” He said, loosening his grip as he tried to catch her eyes.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’d find me anyway,” came a mumbled response.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Jarvis always knows,” he nodded, but released her all the same. She took the opportunity to wipe lazily at her face again with her </span>
  <span>sleeve and</span>
  <span> take a couple steps away from the alpha who was grinning at her actions.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to talk to them,” her voice was soft.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” the alpha sighed. “I’ll make sure they stay away; Pepper will come and pick out a movie with you.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June perked up a little at the mention of his mate, the betas in the tower were the only ones who treated her like a normal person. Instead of acting as if she was some fragile being who needed to be babysat, sucked up to, and ordered around instead of asking her things.  She felt a little bit better after talking to Tony, but at the same time, still felt sad and bitter when she thought about her mates.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was even worse because as soon as she had started </span>
  <span>crying</span>
  <span> she could feel their worry leaking into the bond as she tried to block herself from them entirely. It was getting harder and harder to do the more time she spent with them, strong thoughts and emotions seeped into the connected between them and gave her away. She hated it, the link. What made it even more frustrating was that she had always wanted it! To be connected, to share happiness and sadness, she had longed for it at one point, but not anymore.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“They know I’m upset,” she muttered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I would hope so,” Tony laughed, but it sounded strained. They were about to get a serious talking to, but first he had to make sure June was okay, maybe not okay, but at least not wishing herself away. He never wanted to hear those words from her mouth again.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did it have to be them?” She questioned under her breath. The alpha barely heard it but felt his chest squeeze painfully tight once more as her turned, dejected, towards the floor.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Pepper, and an anxious Bruce, were waiting at the elevator for them to arrive, the beta with a frown on her face that changed into a soft smile when June was revealed to them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Jun-,” Bruce started but got cut off by the woman.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What kind of movies do you like?” She asked loudly as the third avoided looking at her mate and instead moved towards Pepper. The worried man still tried to reach for June only for the beta to step in front of him and corral the girl in the right direction.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tony-,” the alpha growled before it died on his lips as he looked at the other man. He didn’t step out of the elevator and motioned for Bruce to get inside, his face set in cold malice, one that was usually reserved for work. “She was-.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Get in,” Tony hissed. When the other man didn’t move and instead turned to look after his mate’s retreating form the alpha snarled. “We’ve got some things to talk about, where’s Natasha?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June hadn’t meant to reveal everything to Tony, but once he’d grabbed onto her the floodgates in her head snapped and everything rushed out. He hadn’t tried to give her advice, feed her lies, or give her empty reassurances like she had been hearing for most of her life. The alpha command made her angry, but when she was in his arms it felt nice, though she had rubbed as many tears and boogers on his shirt as possible initially.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She was coming down from her bitter confession now that Pepper was treating her like a friend instead of some fragile child. The beta offered her a smile as she settled into the couch, which was different from the one she had gotten disciplined on, in front of the screen wall. It illuminated itself when Pepper asked Jarvis to open a streaming service, and the third couldn’t help but admire just how big and clear the image was. The woman told her that her doctor’s visit had been cancelled and today was a day for movies, television shows, and junk food. Repeating what her mate had suggested before leaning back in her seat and waiting for June to pick a spot.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After looking around a little she finally sank down one cushion away from the beta, who smiled and motioned towards the wall as titles began to appear. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to get Chinese food, we can order something else,” the beta said as June settled. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“N-no, that’s okay. I like Chinese food,” June </span>
  <span>faltered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, but now you have to pick a movie,” Pepper chuckled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a lot harder,” she moped, and it felt normal. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June didn’t know the beta very well, as she was often out of the tower or with Tony, but being near her felt right, picking out something to watch reminded her of movie nights with her family. How they all used to fight about which one, and if someone fell asleep her father would scent and coddle them, she missed it. Somehow Pepper had a similar feeling to that and the third couldn’t help but move a little closer to her, while still feeling like she might cry.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If Tony and Pepper had been her mates instead, would they have looked for her? </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You know,” the beta caught her attention. “I’m happy you’re here,” the words mirrored her mate. “You make Tony a little more </span>
  <span>bearable</span>
  <span>,” she laughed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And at that she did cry, eyebrows knitting together as her eyes watered. She chuckled nervously, not wanting to wreck the mood. Inner omega and beta within her purring at the warmth that suddenly filled her. Why wasn’t she mates with them?!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” she chuckled. Wiping at her eyes before anything could escape.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After texting the rest of the pack about needing to have a meeting on the kitchen floor, Tony and Bruce settled onto opposite sides of the table as they waited for everyone else to arrive. The other alpha trying to start a conversation with a brooding and silent iron man who was looking at him as if he was a disappointed father. Upon scenting the air in the elevator Bruce could tell that June had been in contact with the other man, her sad smell clung to a wet splotch on his shirt that was slowly drying.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was nearly twenty minutes before they were all finally seated at the table, minus Pepper who was surely watching a movie with the third at this point.. Her two soulmates sat on one side of the table while Steve, Bucky, and Tony were on the other, the one who called them there explaining where his mate was before they finally asked him why. He sighed, looking away from the couple on the other side of the table to glance at the other two before finally speaking.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to tell you exactly what June said, and I need you two to listen without getting angry right away,” Tony kept his gaze focused on Bruce and Natasha. “Okay?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” the woman said warily.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Afterwards, we have to talk,” he said, leveling them with a dark look that set them on the defensive immediately.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About?” Bruce asked.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll get there,” Tony assured.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve and Bucky glanced at each other knowingly, only causing those on the other side of the table to cast them a skeptical stare that they did not offer answers to.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“After your punishment I walked into the elevator from the lab floor to a crying June who wouldn’t look at me,” the alpha started. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He watched for the girl’s mates to react and saw how their expressions hardened as he spoke, hands clenching into fists where they rested on the surface of the table. Air changing as their scents began to tinge with worry and guilt. More than likely blaming themselves for whatever had transpired during or before her spanking session.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I grabbed her before she could get away and she told me that she didn’t want to be here. She didn’t want to be anywhere,” he let that sink in. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky, who was sitting next to him, stiffened and looked away, not liking the image of June wanting to disappear that the alpha had put in his head. Steve bumped his shoulder with his own and grabbed his hand under to table in order to soothe him slightly. Neither of them could forget the first time they had seen the girl, and hearing she still wanted to die was not a very good thing after being in their care for nearly a month and a half.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She thinks that you only care about the bond, not her. That she’s only alive because you need her to continue your relationship,” he stopped for a moment when Bruce began to growl lowly. “I know, I told her you didn’t know, but.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought I wasn’t trying hard enough,” Bruce confessed and his mate made a soft sound. “That it was my fault is wasn’t working.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell her that,” Tony snapped back. Finally letting his anger change the volume and intensity of his voice. “You have to tell her,” he hissed. “Because all these years we’ve had each other and she was alone, and she still feels that way.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should probably get her a therapist as well,” Steve muttered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was going to suggest that as well,” the iron man agreed. “Tell her,” he said making sure the two alphas were looking at him. “Tell her why you didn’t look for her for so long, tell her about your insecurities. Tell her everything.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re trying to get her used to us,” Natasha said, attempting to defend the order of their actions thus far.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve noticed,” Bucky cut in for the first time since sitting down. “That you treat her the same way you treat each other,” he said. Tony hadn’t thought about it that way, but after the beta said it, he couldn’t help but connect the similarities. “And you can’t do that to June, she’s different. Regardless of how she acts, that girl needs soft, consistent actions from you, maybe from all of us.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce looked thoughtful for a moment before his head bowed in defeat. Dr. Cander had told them being stern might help her recover faster, but there were other ways he could’ve done things. The process might’ve taken longer, but he had to remind himself that usually the rehabilitation took a year and not six months. Had they been pushing her too much?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t realize,” he muttered, fingers carding through his hair as he shook with shame.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s probably more omega than beta,” Steve added. “They usually need to be coddled, comforted, and reminded how important they are. Leaving her alone so much isn’t good for her. I know she’s part beta, and they don’t mind it but June, she’s been by herself long enough.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was right, they had been taking care of her much like they took care of each other, perhaps a little nicer, but it was too impetuous and abrasive for the girl. But that was who he was, who the green monster inside of him was, how was he supposed to adjust, what was he meant to fix? Was this something that Natasha would have to make up for? He couldn’t put all the burden on her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Should we not have disciplined her?” The red head asked.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I would have as well. She understood why,” Steve assured her. “What did you say to her before and after?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did she take it? Basically, what happened before I found her in the elevator?” Tony questioned.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still filled with guilt and bitterness at themselves the two alpha mates restated their new rules for the girl, and how she had protested them at first, until they said it was non-negotiable. Then continued on with how she had been right before, during, and after the punishment, recounting the noises she made with a grimace. Across from them Steve and Bucky were mostly expressionless until they got near the end and the beta shifted slightly. Tony, on the other hand, looked grumpy throughout the entirety of it, although he didn’t interrupt, anyone could tell he had something to say.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“First of all, both of you deserve discipline for lying to her about that law. They got rid of it in every state a few years ago,” the blond alpha stated. “Don’t sit in on her visits,” he grumbled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If the doctor thinks you’re needed he’ll ask for you,” Tony agreed. “I think scenting her before she goes out with one of us is fine, but don’t mark her. You have to be courting before you do that. Also, you should court her, skipping ahead to marking and scenting is cheating.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Court her?” Natasha scoffed. Would that really be a wise use of the time they had left? “Do we have time for that?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Make time for it,” the iron man snapped.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Steve and I dated before everything happened, even though we knew we were soulmates,” Bucky added. “Maybe, she can only leave the tower with one of you. She can go anywhere, but it has to be with one of you,” he offered. The two alpha mates looked at each other and nodded, it was a decent suggestion and they’d be able to get to know June at the same time.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then you won’t have to scent her, although I know you want to,” Tony muttered. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She smells so good though,” Bruce groaned at the loss.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Scenting her once a week is fine, it’ll help her sleep,” the blond countered. “Though it is cute, I don’t want to find her passed out in closets anymore,” they all nodded in agreement.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If she gets spanked again make sure she’s alright afterwards, if you squeeze her mating gland and she winces, it’s not good.” Bucky said, giving them a bland stare that showed how badly they had messed that up. “I’m not sure what it means exactly, but letting her walk away was a mistake.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, we kind of figured,” the woman mumbled. “We can ask Dr. Cander when he gets here.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Call him, he’s not coming today,” Tony waved his hand.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You canceled?” Bruce asked with unhappily.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t see her crying,” he sneered back. “She’s relaxing today, I’m getting her favorite soup, we’re watching movies, eating candy, you know, the good stuff. You’re invited,” he pointed at Bucky and Steve. “You’re not.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony,” Natasha growled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you think? Tell her the new rules now?” The iron man asked of the two next to him who shook their heads in response. “You’re right, too soon. We’ll tell her tomorrow.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony,” it was Bruce this time.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She doesn’t want to see you, and until you sort out what you’re going to say to her, and how you’re going to apologize, you should keep it that way.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t stop-,” he cut her off.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will, because I don’t want to see her like that again,” he said in a shaky voice. Scent becoming tainted with apprehension and anger as he started to stand. “Call the doctor and tell him what happened, figure out what you’re going to say, and don’t mess it up,” he growled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” Natasha hissed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” he smiled. “Do you still want me to order you some Chinese food?” He asked while typing </span>
  <span>something</span>
  <span> into his phone.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No thanks,” Bruce waved them off as the other two began to rise.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They're watching-,” he paused, squinting at his phone. “Oh, why’d she </span>
  <span>pick</span>
  <span> that? That one’s sad. Alright, time to go,” Tony started towards the elevator. “Jarvis.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sir?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Order the food, please,” he called out.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right away, sir.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Steve, Bucky?” Tony looked back at them for a second and they both stood up to follow, nodding at the alpha couple before walking into the open elevator.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June ended up picking a movie about a beta woman who goes home to regain her lost childhood memories and help her mother recover. She said it looked like an old western type movie and she used to love watching them with her dad and who was Pepper to deny such a thing when she was inching closer and closer to the beta.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The good thing was that it had a decent rating, and the bad part came when the beta’s love interest, a kind alpha, died near the end. Which was not ideal for the third who was still emitting a somewhat dejected scent, eyes red from where they had been wiped several times. Although she wasn’t going to ask the girl to change it without an explanation and there was no way Pepper was going to spoil anything now that they had started it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d just have to wait for the pack meeting to finish and Tony to return, hopefully then they would be able to keep her spirits up even after the man died. Perhaps by the time it got there they would have food to distract them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What does it say?” June asked. Pepper had mentioned that she would check the rating before getting distracted while looking at the spoilers.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It got a 7.1,” the beta said and the girl hummed in response.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not bad,” she mumbled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Should be good,” Pepper agreed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was quiet for about ten minutes as the plot established itself and June sunk more into the couch, now just an inch or so away from the other woman. Her sad pheromones dulling more and more as time went on, though she still looked somewhat forlorn as she stared at the movie wall in front of them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pepper?” June muttered, not looking at the beta.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks for treating me like a normal person,” she said, scent spiking softly with her words. It was a grateful, soothing smell that made the beta feel warm.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Pepper mused.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Usually when people find out I’m a third they treat me differently, like I’m fragile, or,” she faded off, “</span>
  <span>y’know</span>
  <span>. Just different, but you don’t. You’re the same with everyone, even me,” she said, looking down towards the ground.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony’s like that too,” Pepper smiled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she hummed. “But he picks on me, so I’m not going to tell him thank you,” June grumbled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It would inflate his ego too much anyway,” Pepper chuckled and the third giggled softly. It was the first time the beta had heard her make such a noise and she couldn’t help but feel proud that she had been the one to make it happen.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He likes talking to you,” the beta beamed. June made a q</span>
  <span>uiet</span>
  <span> sound of contentment and looked back at the movie.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pepper had been, kind of, wary around the third. Unsure of how she should treat her and instead keeping herself busy with work so she would have an excuse if anyone asked. She felt bad about it now, and resolved to spend more time in the tower with June and the rest of the pack, how could she leave the girl alone with a bunch of men and alphas who wouldn’t understand her as well as she might? She wouldn’t, not anymore.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They made little comments as the story progressed until Tony was walking back into the area, leaning over the couch to kiss his mate before ruffling June’s hair. The third protested grumpily as she pulled away to straighten it as Steve and Bucky followed behind, the other beta settling down a cushion away from the girl.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Food should be here in,” Tony paused.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Twenty minutes, sir,” Jarvis filled in.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Twenty minutes,” the alpha repeated.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you all going to stay and watch movies?” June asked tentatively. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pulled her legs up to her chest and tried to appear as small as possible, pushing herself as much into the couch as she could. The pack didn’t spend too much time all together, there were a couple meals every once in a while, where most of them were present. For the most part, it was a few of them, or none of them. Granted, they were still missing two people, but June didn’t want to think about them for at least the rest of the day. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was part of the reason why she felt like she didn’t belong, because they spent time with her when it fit into their plans or schedule, but never really made time for her. Not like they did with each other.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Bucky said while Steve nodded.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The responding scent that came from June was subtle but made them feel warm and comfortable as they responded with calming and content pheromones of their own.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cool,” she mumbled with a soft smile.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>June woke up in her bed groggy and still wearing her clothes from the day before, the last thing she remembered was slouching towards Bucky as the characters on screen prepared for the final fight of the movie. It had been one of the best days she had had in a long time, minus the morning </span>
  <span>anyway</span>
  <span>, and just thinking about how they had laughed and talked to each other so naturally made the third feel warm and welcome when it came to the rest of the pack. They treated her like one of them, even though she wasn’t really.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It made her think about what might happen if she decided to stay at the end of the six months, not for her mates, but the others. Would they still treat her as pack if she didn’t want to be with Bruce or Natasha? With that thought on her mind she fell back asleep, curling into her nest as she dozed off into a dreamless slumber.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>At breakfast the next morning June was surprised to see the entire pack sitting around the table. There was already a spread of food waiting for her and a seat between Bucky and Steve which was directly across from her mates. They tried to catch her eyes but she looked away from them and kept her hands in her lap, feeling completely anxious and uncomfortable as their idle chatter died as soon as she settled into her chair. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had never felt more awkward in her life and longed for the day before when everything had felt so effortless and warm. The stares of her mates felt heavy on her form as she shrank further into her chair, feeling like she would maybe rather run away and receive punishment instead of sitting through whatever this was.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning,” Tony greeted her and she glanced at him warily.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>G’morning</span>
  <span>,” she muttered in response. “What’s going on?” She questioned, looking at the food without moving her head.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Breakfast?” Steve said as if it was a question. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re eating together,” Pepper smiled, motioning towards the different plates. There was a bowl of fresh fruit, what appeared to be a quiche, a plate of some bread and an array of other things that June looked at curiously.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s something we’re going to try to do more often,” Bruce said next and the third seemed to stiffen at his voice. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which did not go unnoticed by the two men on either side of her who reacted by moving slightly closer to her. Almost all at once they released calming pheromones that washed over her from every part of the table, including from her mates. The combined and heady scent of everyone invaded and washed away her tentative feelings, replacing it with a fuzzy calm that made the girl finally lift her head.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes, somewhat unfocused now, stared at Bruce and Natasha with a frown as her inner omega preened at the thought of future meals including more pack.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds nice,” she mumbled, a soft scent oozing out from her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Try as she might, June could not bring herself to be bitter and angry with all of them around her, the mixture of their pheromones around her had the same effect on her as being buzzed. Bucky seemed to notice and got his mates attention before the two of them let their scents fade away slightly, she had enough of them at the moment.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want some juice?” Natasha asked of the girl across from her and June held her stare before nodding a little. The smile that beamed in response had the rest of the pack sighing in relief. Though the two alphas had yet to apologize to their little mate the girl was still looking at and responding to them, which was a good sign.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There wasn’t too much in the way of conversation as they loaded their plates and started eating, but as soon as they were about halfway through, with coffee in their systems it started to pick up. Talk of missions and errands outside the tower came up and Tony told June that her online order had arrived before breakfast and was waiting for her on the pack floor. The rest of it would arrive later that night, and a space in the storage closet had been cleared out for what she wasn’t going to use right away.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pack watched as June brightened considerably in front of them, excitement lighting up her eyes as she happily popped a strawberry into her mouth. Telling them she knew exactly which puzzle she wanted to start when they asked her what she was most looking forward to. It was cute to see her anxious to be done, not out of awkwardness, but anticipation to start something new and look at all the other things she had gotten.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She even surprised them further by thanking Tony for letting her pick things out and ordering them, her voice suddenly shy as she mumbled it. The alpha nearly got up from his seat and pulled her into a scented hug, but stopped himself short as her mates would likely be livid if he did what they could not. Pepper seemed to understand and flashed him a quick grin, lips pulling up at the edges.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they were finishing Steve got everyone’s attention as he cleared his throat and glanced around the table at everyone. At the mention of new rules June’s uncertainty reappeared and her expression shifted to a more wary one, remembering the morning prior when everything had seemed to go pear shaped. Her mood becoming more downcast as she wondered what more they could possibly take away from or force upon her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another wave of soothing pheromones lulled her back into a more relaxed state as she began to fidget with her hands. Her mates shifted anxiously in their seats, longing to reach out and touch her, inner alphas begging to scent the third as it would be the most </span>
  <span>effective</span>
  <span> way to calm her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The ones Bruce and Natasha told you yesterday, forget them,” Tony said, casting his packmates a small glare. “They’re gone, </span>
  <span>done-zo</span>
  <span>,” he chuckled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” June said skeptically.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They won’t be joining you for doctor’s visits unless Dr. Cander asks for them,” Steve started. He was often the most outspoken at pack meetings and easily took command of the conversation. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June felt a slight weight lift off her chest at that. The beta doctor wasn’t the same as the kindly old alpha she had gotten close to over the years, but they had a certain understanding. Knowing that her possible confessions and feelings wouldn’t be forced out in the presence of her mates was reassuring and she let out a soft sigh of relief.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re getting you a therapist,” the alpha continued and the third grumbled at that. She didn’t like going to doctors any more than she had to, and she’d never been to a therapist before, the thought of spilling her guts to someone made her feel sick. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t need one,” she hissed moving to stand. Tony answered her with a grunt and an amused, yet dangerous, stare that had her sinking back into her chair.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, you do,” the iron man insisted. “June,” his gaze felt like it was boring into her skin.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” she muttered, feeling defeated. The man responded with a concerned smile that his mate mirrored.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In regards to leaving the tower,” Steve went on and the third perked up slightly in interest. “You can go anywhere you want with a packmate, within reason,” he added. “If you go with one of us you have to be scented by either Bruce or Natasha before leaving. Don’t growl, none of us want a repeat of the bookstore,” the blond said in response to the thirds soft glowering. “If you go shopping with one of your mates, they won’t need to scent you. It’s up to you, but you will need to be scented by one of them at least once a week to deal with any deprivation that may occur.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The third nodded slowly, not happy about having to get bombarded by one of her mates at least once a week, more if she wanted to go shopping without them, but it made sense. Steve had made sure to emphasize that she only needed to be scented by one and not both of them, as they had told her the day before.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we go get some plants for the tower?” June questioned, mind already moving on. Steve chuckled, happy to see she was                     thinking about where she wanted to go and relieved that she seemed to be accepting the new rules better than the day before.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As long as you go with your mates or get scented, yes,” the alpha smiled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to water them though, I will not be blamed for dead flowers,” Tony groaned. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Compared to the day before June was processing these rules a lot better. Part of her wanted to be a little angrier about the scenting, as it was still somewhat similar to what Bruce and Natasha had wanted of her, but most of her fight was being seeped away. Her mind still buzzing slightly from the combination of everyone’s soothing pheromones that they were still pumping out to relax her. The way Steve spoke also made her less anxious.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mates had given her choices between scenting and marking, the second word jilting her more than the other as she thought of them biting or sucking a mark onto her skin. No one had ever done that to her before, that was for intimate relationships, between people who trusted each other. Then there was the spending a night with them which made her seize up as well, it was another thing that was done between those who were being intimate. Sleeping in the bed of two people she barely knew, even if they were her soul mates, was not okay!</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve was much more straightforward, stating how things were going to be and leaving no room for her to challenge or complain about it. Even if she had there was no budging the alpha anyway.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Am I still grounded for three weeks?” The third questioned. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they had said she could go anywhere she wanted the first thing she thought about was bringing some color and life into the tower. Things she could occupy herself with taking care of like she did before the Avengers had picked her up. The plants at her apartment were more than likely a lost cause at this point, but she was ready to start again and excited to pick them out. Her packmates glanced around at each other, letting silence hang between them for a few moments before Tony responded.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you already </span>
  <span>received</span>
  <span> your punishment,” he said with a slight frown. Flicking his eyes over to Bruce and Natasha who looked guilty. “If the bookstore thing happens again then we’ll really ground you, but the spanking was enough.” He explained and June nodded.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there anything else?” June asked when they said nothing else within the next few moments.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why? Anxious to go look at all your goodies?” Tony mused.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe,” she grunted and the alpha laughed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re going to clean up first, and then-,” the alpha was interrupted by Natasha.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We need,” she hesitated after getting a sharp glare from Tony. “We would like to talk to you,” she said with a soft smile. “Please?” She said for added comfort.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June considered saying no for a moment, but eventually she would have to be scented by one of them or even go shopping, if she ever picked that option, together. If she rejected them now it would only make it even more awkward when they finally did end up together, so she relented.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” she said with a small frown.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cleanup did not take very long, most of the food had been eaten and what remained was easily stowed away in some containers and put into the fridge. June watched anxiously as the rest of the pack left, Tony ruffled her hair before going to the elevator and leaving her alone with her mates. The third looked away as the doors closed and her mates motioned for her to take a seat in one of the lounge areas, where the girl would be comfortable. It was quiet for a few moments as they tried to figure out where to start. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>While June had been watching movies and enjoying the remainder of her day with the rest of the pack her mates had been discussing and thinking about how best to approach the issue Tony had brought up. What they should say and how to make the girl understand that they truly cared about her more than the bond.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“June,” Natasha started but the girl refused to look at them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For how we’ve been treating you, yesterday, since you’ve been here, and since you presented,” she perked up at those words curiously. “We apologize.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We know it’s too late to ask that you forgive us, and we don’t blame you,” Bruce assured her. “We just ask that you listen to what we have to say and perhaps we might understand each other a bit more.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The third considered them for a moment, sitting in front of her as they had been all morning, but this time their expressions were tight and miserable looking. As if they were dreading the conversation as much as she was, even though they were the ones at fault for messing everything up in the first place. But, again, it would be easier to get it over with now rather than later. It was probably just lasting effects from the packs combined scent that were making her so lenient at the moment, and her mates would use that to their advantage. Even trying to prolong it as they released another wave of soothing pheromones that she seemed to lean into ever so slightly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever,” she muttered. For a moment the two alphas were unsure of whether it meant she was going to leave or if she was going to listen to them, but when she made no move to get away, they continued.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because of where I was born, and who raised me, I was not allowed to register my mark into the system,” Natasha started. “It wouldn’t have been safe for you, or Bruce, if we matched.”</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What's this? Another update? I felt bad since the last chapter was mostly filler/fluff and nothing much happened.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“It was easier, and better for me to never match with anyone. I expected that I would be without my soul mate, or mates,” she added for good measure. “Until I died, and I was okay with that. At least that’s what I told myself anyway.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My story is a little different but I did something similar.” It was Bruce’s turn to give his bit.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June listened to both of their tales with a frown and she honestly didn’t blame them for the way they grew up and their ideals. How could she after hearing what Natasha had been through, hearing how she felt about herself, and how much worse it would be if her soulmate had been hurt because of who she was. The third understood, she got it, but it still didn’t erase the time they had been together without her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her inner omega longed to comfort and thank them for confiding their painful pasts to her, but the beta part of her brain disagreed a bit and ultimately kept her at bay and glued to the couch across from them. The second genders were constantly fighting each other in her head and she hated it, especially when they fought over what to do with her mates. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was afraid that if I matched with my </span>
  <span>mate,</span>
  <span> they would expect me to drop everything I had been working on to be with them, and I wouldn’t be able to stop. I figured that they would be better off without me, that they would find their own version of happiness somehow,” Bruce explained, nearing the end of his story.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha squeezed his hand and rubbed his shoulder when he seemed to be having a rough time recounting his past, and how everything had gone so very wrong. Their little intimacies bothered her, because she wanted them, but she didn’t. They didn’t deserve them, she deserved them, but she didn’t want them. How was that fair?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“After what happened to me, what I became, I assumed that no one would ever want me -er,” he faltered. “Us, because the big guy and I are two separate beings in one body and he’s,” he chuckled softly. “Difficult. “</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve seen him on the news,” June muttered and Bruce nodded gruffly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The destructive and vicious mass that people called the Hulk who destroyed many an alien during the invasion, when the Avengers had first come together years ago. She’d marveled at his strength and assumed they would never meet, it often felt as if they didn’t exist in the same universe. Yet, here she was in front of the man who was also the Hulk and also her soulmate, it was almost unbelievable.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He really wants to meet you, and hold you, and such,” the alpha said, but he didn’t sound happy. “Does that scare you?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not really,” June muttered. If the giant thing ended up grabbing at her too </span>
  <span>harshly,</span>
  <span> she might die, and that was really what she was aiming for, wasn’t it?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stopped herself short, almost surprised at her own thought process and how easily she threw her life around, how little she cared for herself anymore. Perhaps a therapist would do her some good. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though she couldn’t help her curiosity at meeting the other being that was inside of her mate, did that mean that they were also mates? How did that work? Did the soul mark stay on his skin when he transformed? How had she not thought about this before?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does that mean,” she hesitated. “That he’s also my soul mate?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In a way,” Natasha said at the same time that Bruce spoke.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. He was the reason why I pushed everyone away, why I believed that no one, not even my mate, would be able to accept me, us, but I was wrong.” He said and couldn’t help the small smile that Natasha shared with him, making the third look away again, way to rub it in.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“After meeting in such a way, we knew there was no escaping each other and tried to settle into this relationship we both believed would never happen. The first year and a half was nice, but it was hard and I figured it was because of how I was raised. How I had been telling myself over and over again that it would never happen, and all of a sudden it was,” Natasha whispered the last part. Some of what she was going to say had never been heard by anyone, not even Bruce. “But we didn’t get along like I thought we were going to and I assumed it was my fault,” she said and it was the other alphas turn to jump in.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was my fault,” he insisted and the red head laughed. “I knew it was my fault, but I wasn’t going to give up or let go of someone who was made for </span>
  <span>me.</span>
  <span> I, we, tried to make it work, tried as much as we could for a while.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A few years,” his mate cut in.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But anything that worked was only momentary,” he sighed and it was June who spoke up this time.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I was helping you,” she hissed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Bruce whispered dejectedly. Natsha also nodded along glumly. “But we didn’t know, that that was what was happening. Blissfully unaware and so ignorant,” he growled at himself. “</span>
  <span>So,</span>
  <span> fucking stupid,” he snarled and the third jumped involuntarily. Inner omega urging her to submit because her alpha was angry.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the sudden jolt of movement from the girl across from them Natasha squeezed the other alpha’s shoulder and made a soft sound to calm him. The self-hate could wait until later when June wouldn’t think it was aimed at her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The reason why we didn’t look for you was because of how we met, and how we tried and lied to ourselves that it would work out. That all we had to do was work a little harder, to be less selfish, less stubborn, but that was never going to happen. And then we could hear and feel you through the bond,” Natasha nearly flinched as she said the last part. Remembering that first night that she June had gotten through and how she assumed it was Bruce, even when she was calling out for them, for help, they had initially ignored her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You could hear me?” The girl in front of them balked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you were giving up on the bond it was calling out for help, reaching for us,” Bruce replied. “As soon as we knew what was happening, we wanted you, wanted to fix everything, to hold you and have you. But you were sick because the bond was sick, and without the bond we wouldn’t have you. I, we, didn’t mean to make you feel like we cared about the bond more than you, we want to know everything. The bond is nothing without you, I mean, that sounded bad, I mean,” he started to ramble so his mate stepped in.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One of the reasons why our own relationship didn’t work,” she looked at the man with a sad frown. “Was because we threw ourselves together without trying to get to know each other first. I figured if we were meant to be it would work out no matter what, and didn’t give myself, or him, any time to adjust and think about it. We did the same thing with you,” she explained and shook her head. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a recent discovery she’d made, only realizing it once the idea of courting had been mentioned. They’d been on one, maybe two dates, where they didn’t treat each other like they were already a couple, and she didn’t think about how much that may have hurt their relationship. They hadn’t been given a chance to develop their feelings apart from each other, or be separate in their relationship before they were considered a unit.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry we did that Bruce, and June, I’m so sorry for how we treated you, how we tried to force ourselves into your life without even waiting for you to recover. I want to start over, with you, with both of you,” she said with a soft smile. “If you’ll let me.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flustered, Bruce tried to match her will and words with his own while the third watched skeptically across from them. She hadn’t been expecting them to apologize or tell her all of this and she could tell how hard it had been to fit all their feelings into words, because it was something she often struggled with as well. This was how they should’ve started, how it should’ve been. Not in that recovery room, or in the tower, or as Avengers at all, although it would never happen now. Her life couldn’t go back to being normal after this.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I understand that what we did, what I did, was unacceptable. If I could go back and change everything I would, but I wouldn’t change having a third, because I want you and your sarcasm. I want to know everything about you June. Won’t you let me court you, both of you?” Bruce questioned and Natasha pouted for a second.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I already asked that, you freaking thief,” she muttered. He chuckled at her and she followed along before they looked carefully at their other mate. June glared at them, but there was no longer any burning hatred or bitterness in her eyes as she tried to process everything.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still don’t like you,” she grumbled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Understandable,” the man nodded.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We just don’t know each other yet,” Natasha insisted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if, by the end of the six months or whatever, I still don’t like you, and don’t want to be here?” June mumbled, sure that the question would set something off, make them push something else on her or threaten her to stay.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then you can leave,” the red head sighed. This time not thinking about how they would make her stay regardless but about how they would continue to court her even if she was no longer in the tower.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You promise?” The girl hissed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We promise,” Bruce whispered. “Will you give us another chance?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her inner omega nearly pushed the word ‘yes’ out of her mouth but June was too stubborn to simply let the second gender take over when she was still somewhat bitter over the whole situation. Part of her felt bad for them, for how Natasha was treated and what was expected of her and how Bruce threw everything away after what he had become, but she still felt shitty. It wasn’t that easy to erase what had happened, if it was, she would’ve moved on and not tried to kill herself.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still don’t want to,” June started. Because it was the truth, she still didn’t think they deserved it and she was sticking to her plan of disappearing as soon as they let her go, but going along with them would be easier than fighting. And probably meant she would spend more time with the rest of the Avengers, who she actually liked. “But, fine.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The alpha’s moods brightened immediately and the girl nearly hissed at their night and day attitude. She hated it and wanted to take her words back if it meant they would stop feeling so excited by a couple measly sounds. With their conversation seemingly finished June got to her feet slowly and glanced at the elevator, trying to show them without telling </span>
  <span>them</span>
  <span> that she wanted to leave now. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you let us take you shopping tomorrow?” Natasha asked, hopeful for a positive response.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t want to get scented so I guess I have to,” she muttered. A bland stare fell over them for a few second before she looked away with a huff.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anywhere specific?” Bruce questioned.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Somewhere with plants,” June replied.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can do that,” the man smiled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmkay,” she hummed softly. “Thanks for telling me,” she mumbled the last part before walking away. The two alphas chose not to say anything in response in case it ruined the moment and instead exhaled in relief when she was out of sight.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You never told me some of those things,” Bruce cooed at Natasha once they were alone. His hand found the side of her face and he rubbed her cheek with his thumb, carefully, as if she would break in his grasp.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was ashamed of myself,” she whispered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I felt the same way,” he chuckled and hugged her tightly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June stared at the pile of things for her on the pack floor in disbelief. Not only had Tony gotten brand new versions of all the used items she had in her cart, but he’d also purchased many of the things that she had saved in her wish list. Which meant that he had spent way more than the original amount on her, and she had no idea what to say, or even how to react as her brain started working in overdrive. It was too much, too much for her!</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She started going through everything and startled when Bucky appeared in front of her to show where they had made room for her to put her things without having to go all the way to her room. There was a new shelf in the storage room just for her, and the bottom shelf was already half full with more new blankets that she couldn’t help but smoosh her hands into. The beta even said if she ever needed help reaching the top shelf that she should ask him or Steve instead of grabbing a chair, because what if she fell. The man didn’t seem to appreciate her sarcasm that followed, and she instead muttered her understanding before he left her alone again.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was more stuff in her room, including a couple stuffed animals that she remembered clicking on a few times before leaving them alone. Yet Tony had gotten everything, and anything she seemed to look at and she found herself muttering in astonishment again. Sure, the Avengers had a lot of money, certainly her mates seemed to be doing well for themselves, but she wasn’t expecting this much. A few books and a puzzle would’ve been fine, just like what had happened with her nesting supplies, why so much for her?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Growing up, she’d learned not to ask for things that they wouldn’t be able to afford. Even when her cousins had moved in and there was more money to go </span>
  <span>around</span>
  <span> she kept her wishes quiet and bought everything she could second hand, it was usually the better option anyway. She didn’t understand why people got things and paid them off every month when they could just choose the older, or used, option for cheaper. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Certain items, she learned, were the exception to this philosophy that she’d grown up with. Second hand nesting materials weren’t acceptable and there was no such thing as cheap medication. Clothes and anything else that would hold lingering pheromones could be de-scented, but not nesting materials. She remedied it by often buying the cheapest ones they had, or those that were on sale because of the pattern that hadn’t gone over well.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>All the new blankets had been easier to accept because they were things she needed, but she didn’t need all of this. It was too much for her to get through with the time that remained, and perhaps that was what she was truly mad about. Was Tony expecting her to stay?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jarvis?” She asked of the silence in her room.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, little kit?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is Tony in the Tower?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Stark is out right now.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you call him for me?” She asked, wanting to tell the man exactly what she thought of everything.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right away, little kit.” The building’s voice responded back.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The wall across from her bed, which looked similar to the one outside in the den area, appeared with a little phone ringing icon until it was replaced with a microphone and carried the familiar voice of a cocky alpha.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I must be blessed to receive the first phone call ever from our little third,” Tony’s voice cheered. She was sure if she could see his </span>
  <span>face,</span>
  <span> he would be grinning in triumph. “What’s up, did something arrive broken?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s too much,” she hissed at him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please,” he scoffed. “Pepper already stopped me from buying duplicates of things,” his voice complained.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony,” June growled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I wasn’t going to let you have books that other people have touched, what if they had lingering scents from an alpha?” He said in a disgusted voice.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was okay with it,” she grumbled and heard Tony mutter something she couldn’t understand.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I wasn’t, and you’re min- ours, </span>
  <span>you’re</span>
  <span> part of the pack,” he said, quickly correcting part of his sentence. “And I spoil my pack, which means I’m going to spoil you, no more second hand, no more clearance items. Hey, do you also need a new phone?” He questioned and continued before he could respond. “Done, I’ll </span>
  <span>getcha</span>
  <span> one.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t need one,” June said trying to stop him from getting anything else.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, you do, how else are you going to call me?” He laughed. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if I don’t want them?” She tried to get through to him one last time.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Throw them away then,” he sounded unbothered. “They’re yours now, I don’t care what you do with them. Oh, gotta go now Junie, see you later,” he said before the call cut off.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s no way I would throw them away,” she growled. The alpha probably knew that as well, but she didn’t want to think about it anymore. She wasn’t going to be there when they finally had to go through </span>
  <span>everything</span>
  <span> after she was gone, so why worry about it now?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next twenty minutes were spent putting things into the storage room, on her new shelf, before she picked out the puzzle she was looking forward to. Something that she would’ve bought herself before all this craziness that was her new pack and life. She picked one of the tables that was nearer to the windows and opened it up carefully before going through and flipping all the pieces over while sorting out the edges.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been titled </span>
  <em>
    <span>the night garden</span>
  </em>
  <span> and was a decent five hundred pieces, and she was looking forward to gluing it into a poster for her room. A girl walking through flowers that easily towered over her, colorful and mysterious, their petals stretching up and into the darkness around. The pieces that were almost entirely black might give her a little trouble but she was already excited to be doing something she had been missing and actually liked.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was easy to get lost in thinking about things while she was putting puzzles together, and she eagerly let it wander as she worked and snapped things into place. Going through everything that had happened in the past few days, what her mates had told her, how Tony and the rest of the pack treated her, and what she thought of it all. The number of pieces would take her at least a day to get through, if she didn’t do anything else, and she had nothing to do. More than enough time to mull over everything.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>At lunch June was surprised when a sandwich was placed on the empty space next to her along with an orange and a glass of water. She looked up expecting to see Bruce or Natasha but was pleased to see Pepper instead, the kind beta woman smiled at her and said her mates were busy at the moment but would be around for dinner. The third didn’t care too much about when they would return, but thanked her anyway before being told that the food was there to be eaten, not ignored.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She left the girl alone after that and went back on her way, leaving the third to puzzle alone once again. She finished near dinner time and for a moment forgot where she was. It had been a while since she had sat down and done a puzzle by herself in a day, and the activity really brought her back to when she used to do it with her cousins.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>While looking the image over she opened the orange that she had been neglecting since Pepper left it for her. The sandwich had been slowly consumed as she popped pieces into place here and there, though she could barely recall the taste or even what had been inside it, now that she was thinking about it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leaving it finished on the table June went back to her room to look through the books that she left on her bed. There was enough time for her to decide which ones she wanted to read first and which ones would be some of the first ones in her new, empty, bookshelf. The selected book was taken with her to the kitchen table where she sat and waited for everyone else to show up, starting to read her new book in the meantime.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Steve was the first to arrive, quietly enough that June did not look up from her book until he ruffled her hair as he walked by. She jerked up at him with a frown of protest that he merely smiled at, which only made her growl something under her breath as she put her book down and moved her hair out of her face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s it about?” The alpha questioned of her once she was settled again.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“People and life,” she muttered and the man chuckled at her cheekiness.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Exciting,” he smiled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Very,” she hissed at him. He kept a grin on his face for a few more moments as he started pulling ingredients out onto the counter and getting pots and pans in preparation for making dinner. She recognized enough of the items to make a calculated guess. “Spaghetti?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Mhmmm</span>
  <span>,” Steve hummed in response, his scent warm and content.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I help?” She asked and the man looked at her curiously for a moment before beckoning her forwards with his arms.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Know your way around the kitchen?” He said while taking out some ground beef from the fridge.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you think I survived this long?” She scoffed while pushing her chair in to join him in the kitchen. “Are we all eating together again?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone but Tony,” he said and June huffed. “He’ll be back tomorrow night. Here, stir this,” he handed her a wooden spoon and pointed towards a skillet he’d just placed on the stove.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I can cut things,” she scowled but he clicked his tongue.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, no knives for you,” he stated and she sighed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky joined them next and tried to take over for the third but she growled and hissed to defend her station until he put his hands up and sat at the table instead. Finally, she was doing something productive and actually making food after weeks and weeks of feeling like a child having her meals made for her. The beta muttered something under his breath that Steve chuckled at but would not repeat to June who could not hear it over the sizzle of the sauce.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As they neared completion, she looked over to see Natasha and the other man chatting idly, though her mate glanced over to catch eyes with the third after only a few seconds. Bruce and Pepper arrived last and helped set the table before everyone sat down and started eating. For some reason it tasted even better to June knowing that she had helped make it, even if she hadn’t been allowed to cut anything. She’d helped make the salad, checked the sauce, and tested the noodles, which didn’t sound like too much but it was a vast improvement to doing nothing.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Without meaning to the third was letting out a very pleased scent, sitting next to Pepper, and still across from her mates who had to stop themselves from visibly reacting lest she see and try to stifle her pheromones. The rest of the pack noticed as well but kept it mostly hidden, except for a small, quick, smile that they all shared briefly, their own scents reacting in kind.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After eating June got up to clean but was shooed away as those who had not been involved with making the meal now got up to collect and wash dishes. They wouldn’t even let her near the sink and suggested she take her book down to the pack floor, snuggle into one of the </span>
  <span>lovesacs</span>
  <span>, and spend the rest of the night getting into the story. Which was what she was going to do afterwards anyway so with a growl she turned away and disappeared into the elevator. This left the rest of the pack to watch her before Steve’s scent changed into a slightly cocky one.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t believe you were the first person she cooked with,” Bruce hissed at the blond alpha.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She offered,” was all the alpha said.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You should have told her no,” the other man countered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then she would’ve been pouting and grumpy,” Bucky cut in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And you wouldn’t have gotten that nice scent either,” Pepper added in. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She even growled at me when I tried to come in and help,” the metal armed beta chuckled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Bruce and Natasha lamented the loss of interaction between themselves and their mate as they put things away. It seemed she was beginning to have a good relationship with everyone else in the tower except for them, which was a bit frustrating, but they’d have to wait it out. The hurt that had happened to her because of them had not been intentional in the slightest, but there was no way for them to take it back.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All they could do from then on was look forward to the times that they did spend together and try to find more occasions to do so.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That night saw June asleep, with her book on her chest, on one of the giant cushions. Natasha found her and sent a picture to Bruce who was still working in the labs. She asked if he wanted to come down and his inner alpha roared with need to hold her close, but he relented and let his mate take her to her room without waiting for him. There would be plenty more instances where this would happen, hopefully, and he would get his chance to carry her to her room as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was sure, eventually, that this would happen in a future where he would carry her back to their room and be able to scent and cuddle with her all night. At that point they could do whatever they wanted, mark her, kiss her, carry her around, perhaps not that, but he was looking forward to it regardless.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Breakfast went by quickly the next day as June was all but buzzing about getting out of the tower again and she was already scoping out places where she was going to put her new plants that she didn’t even have yet. Bruce thought it was cute and Natasha was making sure the girl was well enough to go out this time, as she had been the one to let her go the last time when she was sick. June woke up feeling fine. Her head didn’t hurt, she had been sleeping well for a while now, and if anything did happen, she was going with her mates. Not that she was excited about that, but it meant the excursion wouldn’t be cut short this time.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t as cold as it had been the last occasion she was let out, but her mates still insisted she wear layers in order to conserve her heat, and she wasn’t going to argue with them. Not when it was up to them whether or not she would even be allowed to leave in the first place. The two alphas fussed over her for a second before she glared at them in annoyance and they finally left her alone.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Bruce desperately wanted to scent the third, as she only faintly smelled of him and slightly more of Natasha from the night before, but it would have to be enough that she was even walking next to them. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The two alphas were brimming with anticipation and cheer as they drove towards the nursery that Tony had recommended to them. It was outside of the city and took a little longer, which meant that they had more time to sit with June and get awkward short answers out of her. Though as soon as they started asking her about plants and which ones she wanted or hoped to find the third opened up more than she ever had before.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She knew the names of countless plants and how they needed to be cared for, which ones needed sun and which ones would be okay in the dark. The two alphas didn’t know too much about what she was going on and on about but let her go regardless, content that she was excited about something and nearly vibrating in excitement.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The nursery was a huge closed in greenhouse with a noticeably warmer controlled temperature inside, which made sense coming in from the cold. June almost took off in a random direction before they could even say anything, though she seemed to remember who she was with and fidgeted nervously instead. Natasha had already moved ahead to talk to a manager or whoever was at the counter while Bruce tried to find a fraction of the excitement that his mate was feeling. She came back with a roll of orange dot stickers and a smile on her face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“As part of our apology, you can get anything you want, as much as you want,” the red headed alpha cooed. “Just put a sticker on it, we can take a few back with us, and they’ll bring the others tomorrow.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I can get anything?” She questioned with wide eyes. Even though Tony had already spoiled her twice, with nesting materials and her recent online order, the third still seemed surprised that they wanted to spend so much on her. A simple nod was given in response and a burst of a sweet and eager scent washed over them from the girl.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You have to get some too,” she finally muttered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We do?” Bruce questioned.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to see what you pick,” she shrugged and her mates glanced at each other with a shrug.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Natasha nodded.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tony had instructed them to go all out, course the man always said that, and to let June get as much as she wanted because it was the first </span>
  <span>time</span>
  <span> she had been so excited about something. She liked the puzzles and the books, but getting her own plants seemed to light a fire under her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They ended up spending a good three hours at the nursery, more than the two alphas ever thought they wound spend in a place where plants were raised and sold but they weren’t complaining. June was the happiest they had ever seen her and watched as she caught herself a couple times and tried to fake being grumpy instead.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She let them get much closer to her than usual and even a few casual touches went mostly unnoticed as she ran this way and that. Looking closely at leaves and poking soil to make sure the ones she wanted were healthy and wouldn’t already be half dead by the time they made it to their new home. Similar to how she had shopped online, at least according to Tony, the third only put stickers on eleven plants, while her alphas followed behind. Putting their own stickers on items that she had seemed to want but decided against at the last moment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Even as they were leaving with four of June’s eleven </span>
  <span>selected,</span>
  <span> she glanced back at the place longingly, as if she wanted to spend even more time there than they already had. Upon asking them which plants they had picked the two of them merely said she would find out when they arrived, which earned them a pout.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Without asking they took her to lunch and got an array of dishes for all of them to try, which was when they found out that the girl was not too big a fan of pickled foods. If her scrunched up and disgusted face was anything to go by anyway. Bruce couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped out upon seeing her reaction and the third glared at him in response before demanding to know what kind of food he disliked.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When they got back to the tower June immediately took a couple plants to her room before the remaining ones were placed on the kitchen level, bringing some much-needed green into the area. They didn’t see much of her until dinner rolled around and she was there early, once again, to help with the cooking. Although when she saw that it was Bruce in the kitchen her excitement deflated slightly, though the alpha tried not to look disappointed. She did end up washing the vegetables and setting the table, this time they were missing both Steve and Bucky.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As they were finishing up dinner June thanked Tony for all the things he had gotten her, growling slightly about the amount now that everything had arrived, before quickly thanking her mates for taking her to get plants. The two alphas nearly purred and wanted nothing more than to smother her in their scent for the hundredth time that day.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was the first day nothing had gone wrong, and the pack sincerely hoped more would follow.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My word document has now passed 100 pages, woo!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After all her other plants arrived June felt herself relax a little more in the tower once she was more surrounded by plants and things that needed watering. It gave her a sort of purpose that she didn’t have before, a job that was hers and one that the others wouldn’t do. The rest of the pack appreciated the new additions to their home and, even more, liked the way the third busied herself with taking care of them. Constantly exuding a content scent that made her mates smile and put everyone else in a pretty good mood as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>One of the tables on the pack floor was dedicated to doing puzzles while the dark blue giant </span>
  <span>lovesac</span>
  <span> was used almost exclusively by the girl to read all her new books and watch documentaries. She was easy to approach, and join, when working on a jigsaw with more than seven hundred pieces, and didn’t mind getting help. It was the best time to get her to talk as she often did so idly, even to her alphas, which was a surprise to them when it first happened, though her answers were still somewhat clipped and short.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Since stating their new rules June had met with her new therapist Dr. Jacobs, a sweet but stern omega woman who was constantly oozing a calming scent that made the third relax without meaning to. Dr. Cander, whom she met with the following day, praised her for being okay with it, making the girl hum happily at the action.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She was finally doing better and even, begrudgingly, went on another outing with Natasha who took her to a unique botanical garden café with a glass ceiling. June paid barely any attention to her alpha and instead gazed around at all the plants and the way suncatchers threw light around the area with a bit of awe. Not that the red head minded in the slightest, she was happy that her mate was showing such excitement and not trying as hard to stay away from her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It’d been about a week since the trip to get plants and it was finally time for her first scenting, something that her mates were buzzing with excitement about and June was doing her best to ignore them. Natasha even more so than Bruce as she would be gone for the next four to five days on a mission, and dousing her little mate in pheromones before leaving would be the perfect sendoff.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The red headed alpha would be leaving in the middle of the night and June asked that they wait to scent her until after dinner. They weren’t sure why, maybe she was hoping to lose most of their pheromones in her nesting materials, or didn’t want to walk around all day reeking of them. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter, because June was going to be coming to them, not quite willingly, but enough that they could justify it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Steve and Pepper had been there for dinner with them, their mates being away on missions and business didn’t stop them from spending time with the rest of the pack, like it had before. The thirds improved mood, though she was still a bit standoffish at times, made the rest of them happy, her pheromones comforting them, they all liked being around her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When they had finished eating June quickly disappeared down to the pack floor while her mates stayed to clean up. She always helped make dinner, often showing up way too early and eager to get to work in the kitchen, which was nice for the person in charge of preparing it that night, because they always had a helper. It meant that Bruce and Natasha were in the kitchen more often as June would stay in there regardless of who it was, even her less liked mates.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They made it to the pack floor after cleaning up and their mate was snuggled into her favorite lovesac with a plush blanket pulled up over her nose. She watched them approach with a cold stare, tucking her arms and legs under the blanket until it was just the top of her face and hair sticking out, which looked hilarious. Bruce couldn’t help the chuckle that left his lips as the two of them settled into the couch closest to her, leaving a space in between them for their mate to occupy.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was no movement from June to join them so they merely held each other gazes for a few moments until Natasha finally sighed and leveled the girl with a smirk.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Or should we come join you?” She questioned with a grin and the third seemed to startle slightly. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“N-no,” she muttered, word slightly muffled by the blanket.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The soft giant cushion had been where June had made a little cozy home for herself, and she wasn’t about to let her mates bust into it and mess up all the pheromones. In a way, it had become something of a second nest for her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m coming,” she muttered pulling the plush fabric off of her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She pushed it onto the floor, still holding a wary stare that she sent their way as she stood up and tentatively took steps towards them. They didn’t rush her, or try to pull her to them once she was close enough, but waited patiently until she had sunk into the </span>
  <span>space</span>
  <span> between them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha cooed and inched closer until their shoulders and knees were touching, the alphas restraining themselves from simply pulling the third into their lap and smothering her in their pheromones. Bruce started purring, the sound a low grumble in his chest, that June could feel inching under her skin and thumping in her head.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It cast a haze over her mind and she relaxed more into the cushion, responding with a little trill of her own that made the two alphas share a brief, surprised, glance that bled into their pulsing scents. She hadn’t been scented like this since she was a kid and her parents had held her against them, although it had never quite been so immediate. Her father was an alpha with a strong scent, but it still never felt like this.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The two alphas started pumping out more of their pheromones until it was the only thing she could smell, the strength of it had her slumping against her mates who purred and pulled her closer to them. Fingers carefully caressed her neck and mating gland, pulling a sweet scent from her that was quickly lost in the haze of their combined smells. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Quiet sounds were coming out of her mouth as well, a purr that she hadn’t been expecting and pushed herself to cut short. There was nowhere to go, her mates blocking her in from either side as they covered and sunk their pheromones into her skin. It was almost like being drunk as she couldn’t quite process what was going on or how long it was taking. One of them was whispering softly into her ear but she couldn’t hear the words and merely shivered at the sensation of their breath on her skin instead.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was good, to be with her mates, and get scented by them. Her inner second genders buckled under the strong pheromones and she crumpled into submission, something she had not done since presenting all those years ago.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Then they were pulling away and June whined while </span>
  <span>leaning forward</span>
  <span> slightly to follow before stopping herself short and sinking back into the couch. She felt fuzzy and too warm, mind full of their pheromones and soft noises that had lulled her into such a state.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When June moved to follow them Bruce and Natasha nearly went to grab her, it was adorable and made her mates coo at her once again, wanting to hold the, clearly, blissed out girl and kiss her until she was whining once more.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>You</span>
  <span> okay?” Bruce hummed and brushed some hair out of her face. The girl merely nodded slowly in response, looking as if she had suddenly lost all the strength in her body. “Want us to take you to your nest?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A little shake of her head and she mumbled something incoherent before trying to push herself off of the couch, the two alphas watched carefully as she got her feet to the floor. She was sluggish and still somewhat drunk on their scent and her mates thought it was cute how loopy, yet still defiant, she was. The best part about it was how great she now smelled, with all of their pheromones combined together it felt amazing and perfect, like it always should have been.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Need help?” Natasha purred and a small, tentative, growl left June before she forced herself to her feet and took a couple shaky steps. Determined to make it without them the third moved her feet a little more until she was back in front of her </span>
  <span>lovesac</span>
  <span> which she then promptly fell into with a little mewl. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Disappointed that they wouldn’t get to carry her to her nest right away the two alphas pushed back the feeling to further enjoy the mix of scents that had begun to filter throughout the rest of the den. With little grunts and mutterings June pulled herself into a ball while reaching down for the discarded blanket. Bruce got up and brought it to her seeking hand, smiling fondly when the girl purred without meaning to, if her confused stare was anything to go by, and pulled it back to herself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They left her alone after that, letting the girl gaze lazily at her book, probably not reading anything but trying to feign it in order to get them away. The two alphas were still buzzing and hugged each other tightly before sharing a kiss once they were out of earshot, they were finally progressing with their little mate. With Natasha gone Bruce would have the girl all to himself, though he would miss his other mate dearly, he was looking forward to spending more time with June, maybe taking her out somewhere as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Just thinking about it made the alpha excited and his scent spiked even more, making his mate look at him curiously as he beamed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>What's</span>
  <span> got you all excited?” Natasha chuckled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Having June all to myself,” he confessed without even a tiny bit of remorse. The red head scoffed and pushed his shoulder playfully, knowing that she would be thinking the same thing if the situation was reversed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She doesn’t even like you that much,” she hissed and the man laughed, hugging her tighter.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She doesn’t like you much either,” he grinned and kissed her on the forehead. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile Bucky had sat down near June after returning from finishing up a job, the heady smell of the three mates combined had entered his head as well. It didn’t have nearly the same effect as it did on June, who was completely enveloped and lulled into a slumber from being heavily scented by her mates for the first time. The beta was definitely feeling a little drowsy and comfortable in the space and couldn’t help but respond to the soft purr that was coming from the third.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He reached out to his mate through the bond and soon Steve was walking upon the scene curiously, scenting the air and smiling softly at his mate, knowing exactly what had happened. He cooed at Bucky, who normally didn’t like to show much affection outside of the bedroom, and the man hummed in response. The two of them looked over at the little third who was still purring softly in her giant cushion nest.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was strange how much a happy third impacted the rest of the pack. Now that she was finally getting better the mood of the pack was more on the positive side and it had been one of the best weeks in a long time. She was always ready to help with dinner, they could join her on the couch when she was reading or watching something, or turn their minds off and complete a puzzle with her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Having her there was relaxing and made her mates finally bearable to be around, which was a big help, as they had been a strain on the pack before she came along. Even though she was definitely the smallest and weakest of any of them the girl was constantly snapping back and growling if she didn’t approve. Tony loved it, and the rest of them thought it was cute as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Should we take her to her bedroom?” Steve asked before kissing the top of his mate's head. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” the beta hummed. Steve moved to go around the couch but Bucky stopped him with a soft sound. “I’ll get her.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The girl was limp but curled into the man as soon as he picked her up. He’d carried her before, after finding her asleep in a couple precarious situations, but this felt different. She smelled the most like pack that she ever had since coming into the tower and the couple was loving it, the fact that she was still purring despite being picked up by someone who wasn’t one of her mates was even better.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On the way to her room, they passed Bruce and Natasha who looked from the beta to the third in his arms with a wary glare before it softened and they motioned for them to continue. It was a very good sign that the alphas trusted them with their third and proved that the bond of the pack was strong, probably the best it had ever been.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>June was slow to get up the next day after the scent of her mates had well seeped into her nest and kept her sleeping for a lot longer than usual as she was constantly comforted by their pheromones. Which had been nearly infused into her skin at that point. It had allowed Natasha to enter her room in the middle of the night without disrupting the other smells in the room and kiss the third on her forehead before leaving to go on her mission. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl was none the wiser and blearily greeted an amused Tony who was sipping a cup of coffee and reading something off his information pad as she sat down at the breakfast table. The alpha scented the air that followed her with a smirk and cooed softly under his breath to see how she would reply. A soft trill was given back as she opened her book slowly without even thinking about the noise she made that had the man grinning. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of picking on her like he really wanted to do, he left her alone, not wanting to ruin the dreamlike mood she was in despite being there for breakfast. Depending on the day the girl could be grumpy from the day before, or simply because she wasn’t hungry and they required her to eat regardless. Yet there she was in front of him, completely docile and finally smelling like she was part of a trio instead of the clumsy mix of pheromones that had been her scent since arriving.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He waited for her mate to appear instead and eagerly got to his feet when Bruce walked out of the elevator looking at something on his phone. Tony crowded the other alpha with a teasing expression that the other man reacted to warily before realizing what brought about such a sly look in the first place.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How long did you scent her?” Tony muttered as they made their way into the kitchen area.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t that long, maybe a couple minutes,” Bruce said with a smile.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But look at her,” the iron man motioned towards the girl who was now resting her head on the table while holding her book open. “You two must have been pumping them out.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We were,” the man nodded. “But it was also her first time, and Dr. Cander said that thirds with two alphas take longer to recover from the daze because of how strong the pheromones are,” he explained.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm,” Tony left his gaze on the girl with a sheepish grin. “Lucky us.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mhmm,” Bruce agreed. “She’ll recover faster the more we do it, but the next two scenting's might be more of this, loopy, June,” he motioned towards his mate. “Give her a few hours, she’ll be back to normal.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if I like loopy June better?” Tony chuckled and the other man offered him a bland stare. “Joking,” he held up his hands. “She’s very cute like this, but I like it better when we bicker. She did trill at me a little bit ago, though,” he said with a taunting smirk.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Last night she was purring, even when Bucky picked her up,” Bruce countered and the other man balked, eyes widening in surprise.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you take a video? You’re supposed to put it in the group chat, we have to keep each other updated,” he grumbled. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll keep it in mind,” the other alpha chuckled and Tony scoffed. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>So far, Natasha was the only other person who had posted a picture of June looking wondrously up at the ceiling during their little coffee date outing. The rest of the pack would respond every once in a while, or like his posts, but the contribution was heavily one sided, and he was slightly, no, very, annoyed by this. Perhaps next time he’d keep the picture to himself and only show Pepper. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although he wasn’t present for the purring, Tony did get a front row seat to seeing June lean into her alpha’s touch when he ruffled her hair after giving her a glass of water. She seemed to realize what she was doing after a couple seconds and moved back, leveling her mate with an accusatory stare that he merely smiled at in return.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>By lunch the third was back to normal and working on a new, two thousand, piece puzzle that Natasha had gotten for her the day before, as a sort of farewell gift that she had forgotten about in the aftermath of scenting. It was a surreal picture of an ancient fantastical city covered in plants and moss that June had looked at curiously before she started to ooze excited pheromones as she tried to open the box. Bucky helped her cut through the glue and proceeded to sit down and join her after she stared at him expectantly for a few minutes.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The beta was her preferred jigsaw partner as he didn’t talk too much but also didn’t mind a conversation every once in a while, which was perfect for June. He also seemed to be the best one at puzzles out of the rest of the pack and usually lured his mate over to help for at least a half hour to sort colors. Bruce was good once he got a rhythm going, but it usually required some sort of incentive in the form of discussion. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>After being scented June didn’t growl at her mate immediately when he moved to sit down and help them with the jigsaw puzzle, which was an improvement. And after it hadn’t been completed in the first two days, because it was eighty five percent different shades of green, she almost seemed relieved when he came to help. Though on the third day she let it sit and went to a book instead, before meeting with her therapist and Dr. Cander later in the day.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even though June was not working on the puzzle, the rest of the pack had stared at it a few times throughout the day, trying to place a few pieces until they got one in and left feeling victorious.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then it was Bruce’s turn to take her out and he gave her a choice between going to the zoo or a museum. Tony had chastised him for picking the two places that sounded most like school field trips, but June didn’t mind in the slightest, and liked how it made her feel nostalgic for the excitement that came from class outings.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She chose the zoo and returned to the tower with a mug shaped like an elephant with four little legs, a trunk, and space between its ears to put a discarded tea bag after it had finished steeping. They’d ended up going to a restaurant for dinner which had left the rest of the pack on their own to realize how much they missed having their little cooking assistant. The meal was quieter than usual without June and Tony picking on each other which made it feel all the </span>
  <span>lonelier</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They came back just after everyone had finished cleaning up, with a fancy and rich chocolate cake from a bakery they had stopped at on the way home. Something that June had picked out after Bruce suggested it, though it was more like an insistence that the rest of the pack would be happy if she did such a thing for them. Which she was suspicious of until putting it onto the kitchen counter to see everyone’s look of surprise and scent of gratefulness seep into the room.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>No </span>
  <span>amount</span>
  <span> of growls or whines could stop her pack from patting her head, ruffling her hair, and cooing at her as they began to slice pieces off and pass them around to everyone while brewing cups of decaf to go along with it. She was going to leave them to go back to her mostly green puzzle but the sudden rush of their pheromones, which may or may not have been on purpose, lulled her back. On the rare occasion that June was taken out of the tower she tried to do as much as possible and easily tired herself out.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which meant that the flood of everyone’s scents, minus Natasha, made her somewhat sleepy as they all calmed and soothed her, purring when they saw that her eyes started to droop.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>”Did</span>
  <span> you have a good time at the zoo?” Steve asked of the third across from him. Bruce had taken advantage of the drowsy state of his mate and was sat next to her with Pepper on the other side, the rest of them opposite. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was okay, I guess,” she mumbled, poking her small slice of cake lazily. Tony chuckled at her response, still defiant despite nearly all of them blasting her with pheromones.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Which animal was your favorite?” The blond alpha continued.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The fennec fox,” she before leaning back against her chair to stretch. Her mate’s eyes followed the action as she emitted a soft, content, scent that made him purr along with the rest of the pack.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know some people keep them as pets,” Tony said as Pepper threw him a glare.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” she growled and he scoffed at her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re no fun,” he sighed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June took one more bite of her cake before pushing what remained of it towards her mate and looking at him with a bored expression that she held for a few moments and then she was walking away while announcing it was puzzle time. Her alpha chuckled and scooped the rest of her dessert onto his plate as the rest of the pack asked him questions about the day.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they first discovered that Bruce and Natasha had a third, they were prepared to help if it was needed, but otherwise ready to leave the trio on their own until everything settled down. Then all that would be left to do was get her used to the pack and figure out how she fit into everything without causing too much trouble. Instead, they found themselves completely invested in everything, Tony had even begun to complain about when it would be his turn to take her out again.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was all for the better of the pack, which was thriving even without one of its members. The past few years, even though they had been united as the Avenger's and all stayed in the tower, they only spent time together when their off days lined up, or when Tony called them all for a holiday or birthday. The pack bond had been loosely connected, until it was really important during missions, or if someone needed help, but it always felt like there was something missing. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fact that June had been the missing piece, for Bruce, Natasha, and the pack was almost too good to be true, and she had no idea. In fact, the girl was more than ready to leave them all behind at the end of their promised time, which they had no intention of letting happen and now had a little less than three months to convince her to stay. If they ended up having to force her, she would definitely hate them for a lot longer than they wanted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’d deal with it when they got there, for now they would enjoy getting to know June as much as possible. Which meant Tony was going to try and steal her away for the next outing, Bucky would puzzle with her whenever she was sitting there staring at pieces, Pepper would sit and watch documentaries while she worked, and Bruce would try to chase them all away. Natasha was sure to do the same once she returned, and probably claim that the pack would be able to do all those things once she decided to stay for good, and not before.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two days later, after many hours of groaning in agony, cursing oddly shaped pieces, and grunting in frustration with Bucky, the puzzle was finally completed and shown off to the rest of the pack. They had all been looking it over throughout the week and placing their own pieces in here and there when they had free time. It had very much been a pack effort and Bruce said he would glue it to a craft board so they could hang it up if June wanted to, which she did.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The alpha was sure his other mate would be happy to know that she had spent so long trying to complete it, and that their third had, at times, seemed to enjoy it. They’d have to get another one so Natasha could sit down beside her this time and exchange short conversations as she sorted pieces by color. That seemed to be what June liked the most, because it made it easier for her and Bucky to put things together if they were already grouped up.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the red headed alpha did not return on the day she insisted she would, and with no radio chatter, updates, or bond touches Bruce began to wonder what might’ve held her up. In the beginning of their relationship, he worried about her a lot, so much so that it leaked into the bond and she had to reach out and shush him. He didn’t do it much anymore, and instead thought about what she could be doing instead. She always returned with an indifferent expression on her face and would grumble about what happened when they were getting ready for bed while he smiled and filled the bedroom with his happy pheromones.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t like it at first, but eventually gave in to the welcoming hug that he wrapped her in as they settled under the covers and drifted off. The alpha in her came home wanting to smother him, which he wasn’t too keen on, but soon there would be someone perfect for that once June finally moved into their room.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>On the second night that Natasha was gone, longer than she should’ve been, a heated, vicious, pulse of anger ripped Bruce from his sleep. He immediately reached out through the bond towards Natasha who burned red and scalded their connection before cutting him off altogether. The suddenness of it happening left him panting and anxious in the dark quiet of his room as he tried to process what had just occurred. An aching pain remained and reminded him of the first time he had woken from the third.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June! Was June okay?</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Bruce jolted out of bed as soon as the girls face appeared in his thoughts, she was sure to have woken up just as he had, perhaps even tried to reach out to Natasha through the bond which was now being blocked. Within a few moments he was outside her door, mind suddenly racing with different questions and fears of what could be going on inside, but he kept them mostly subdued as he knocked softly on her door.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“June?” He called out quietly and heard a muffled noise in response.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When nothing else was said the alpha pushed the door open slowly, inch by inch until he could just barely make out her form in the darkness. She was sitting up in her nest with her back to him, scent tinted with unhappiness as he walked carefully into the room, inner alpha wanting to soothe and comfort.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stopped just short of her bed, remembering how territorial omegas and thirds could be about their nests if they were disturbed without invitation. The alpha let a soft wave of pheromones ebb away from him instead and finally the girl in front of him reacted by flinching away from his presence, as if she just realized he was there. Cooing made her shiver and she responded with a little whimper that set him on edge.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” He whispered and watched her slump forwards. “June?” He questioned when she didn’t answer for a few moments, the alpha in him getting close to pulling her into his arms regardless of what she wanted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was scary, his own heart thumped loudly in his chest and made it feel like he had run a marathon despite making it to June’s room in under ten seconds. If he wasn’t worried about Natasha before he definitely was now and when she did return, he’d scold her for cutting him off from the bond when he only wanted to help. He wondered if the third in front of him felt the same way, if her own pulse was jumping wildly beneath her skin or if it felt like someone was pushing on her throat.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s been a while,” she finally spoke, voice groggy and cracked from just waking up. “But you used to wake me up all the time with your bitter anger and frustration for each other.” Her trembling voice explained as she recalled years prior that had been filled with many sleepless nights.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The alpha’s heart sank at her words as he thought about all the </span>
  <span>nights</span>
  <span> he and Natasha had gone to sleep fighting with vicious words stuck to their tongues. They’d never imagined that the feelings would carry over to June at home and plague her with their unhappiness until she calmed and soothed it away. And here they were once again, except, this time, he had felt it as well.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>His regret bled into his scent and she sniffled at the sour taste of it in the air before she let her body fall back into her nest with a soft thump. Bruce watched her with a forlorn longing, because she was so close to him and he wanted to hug her until they both felt better, but she didn’t want him and he found no reason to blame her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I truly am sorry for that,” he exhaled. “If I had known what we were doing was hurting you,” he faltered, biting back a snarl of irritation at himself. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter anymore,” June cut back at him. “Can’t change the past.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded even though she couldn’t see him and let out one last wave of comforting pheromones before turning to leave. June had been through this many times before, and always alone, she didn’t need any help from him no matter how much his inner alpha was begging to grab her. Sleep probably wouldn’t find him in his room, even if he willed the feeling away it would stay stuck in his throat, like all the nights June had burned in the bond. But he’d at least be able to calm himself with Natasha’s scent that was still stuck in her pillows.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’ll-,” he stopped moving after hearing the girl’s soft voice. “She’ll be okay, right?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” he said without hesitating. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June’s scent changed ever so slightly, spurred on by his confidence in Natasha, a small hint of relief flickered around him for a moment. It was soon covered up by his own strong pheromones, but he hadn’t missed it. A small hum was given in response to him and the alpha smiled softly. The third insisted that she didn’t care, that she was going to leave as soon as they allowed her to, yet at the </span>
  <span>same</span>
  <span> time couldn’t help but worry over her mates.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can bring you one of her pillows, if you want?” He offered and June finally turned to look at him. Though he couldn’t quite see it in the darkness he could feel her sudden embarrassment and need to reject anything he offered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-no,” she rushed and then looked away again. “That’s okay.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See you in the morning,” he said to her back and closed the door softly after leaving.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once more in the dark silence June tried to make herself comfortable in her nest again, inner omega and beta searching for the combined scent of her mates and coming up short. Bruce’s lingered on her skin from earlier in the day but Natasha’s had gone from the blankets and other pieces of clothing around her. The absence of her mate’s pheromones made her feel uncomfortable and she whined softly before catching herself. When had she started to depend on them to be able to sleep?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It definitely started before they scented her the week before, but the action certainly didn’t help matters in the slightest. She’d gotten used to them being around her constantly at this point, and had even started unconsciously leaning towards them when she was lost in thought, which made her all the more irritated. It also made her realize how long it’d been since they woke her up in the middle of the night with their feelings, and she hadn’t missed it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although Bruce’s appearance half way through was very different than being alone part of her wished he hadn’t entered her room at all because it reminded her of how it felt to be scented. How she hadn’t a care in the world and she’d felt so safe and protected, and now she just felt empty. Wondering about whether or not Natasha was okay, even though she kept telling herself she didn’t care, she also didn’t want the alpha to get hurt. Or anyone in the pack for that matter. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her sudden anxiety started to seep into the bond and June startled slightly when she felt Bruce try to comfort her from the other room. But she didn’t want to pull away from the bond completely because having the alpha be only a thought away was kind of nice, and made her feel less hopeless, so she only retreated slightly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A muffled thump against her door made the third jump and turn towards it with her heart suddenly in her throat as she waited for something else to happen. When nothing did, she got up to investigate, turning the handle and pulling the door open slowly until something soft slumped towards her feet. She nearly growled after realizing it was a pillow, probably the one that Bruce had offered to her before he left. Her immediate reaction was to pick it up and throw it back at his door, but as soon as she lifted it the scent of Natasha flooded her senses and she relaxed instead.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that point her inner omega refused to let go and she brought it, very reluctantly, to her nest, promising that she would wake up in the morning and place it back outside in defiance. As soon as she pulled the pillow into her collection of blankets and other soft things June brought it up to her face and nuzzled into it with soft purr. The presence of her absent mates </span>
  <span>scent</span>
  <span> immediately brought back a sense of calm that lulled her to sleep faster than she could scorn her inner second genders about giving in so easily.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next day was rough for Bruce as he worried and wondered about where Natasha was and how she was doing. He’d informed the rest of the pack about what happened in the middle of the night and they too questioned what could possibly be going on with her assignment, before reassuring the alpha that she was fine. Although they knew she would be okay the tower was still on edge throughout the day, softening only in the presence of June who spent most of the day watching cooking shows and writing down ideas for pack meals.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce spent half of his time with the third, reading up on some research idea Tony had given him, and the other half in the lab trying to distract himself. The only good thing that happened was when he woke up and saw that June had taken the </span>
  <span>pillow</span>
  <span> he had left for her into her nest, and even tried to tuck it away to hide from him. He’d have to show Natasha later when she questioned him about where one of her pillows had gone.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was late into the night when she returned, nearly two thirty in the morning, he was still up working when she reached out to him through the bond and revealed she was already on the pack floor. He immediately dropped what he was doing and rushed there, ready to give her whatever she needed from him. As he turned to go straight down the hall, he caught her scent leading to the den and towards one of the sectional couches that looked out the windows towards the city. A familiar head of red hair could be seen from afar, and came more into focus the closer he got to the other alpha.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he walked up to the couch it was the pheromones of both of his mates that hit him in the face and he could see that Natasha had taken June from her nest and was now clutching the third against her chest. The other alpha had the girl leaning against her, legs splayed over her lap as Natasha purred and nuzzled against her hair. Their little mate was still in a deep sleep, and had probably been lulled even further into it at the presence of her newly returned alpha. He let out a soothing scent to alert her of his presence as he stooped down to rest his arms on the top of the couch next to her head, but made no move to touch her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A couple minutes went by without either of them speaking as Natasha’s bitter pheromones relaxed the </span>
  <span>longer</span>
  <span> she sat with June in her lap until it finally settled into her normal firm, but comforting, scent. Bruce watched the two of them from the corner of his eye as the other alpha gently rubbed against the girl’s cheek and kissed the top of her head lovingly as she leaned further back into the couch before speaking softly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I saw my pillow,” the red head whispered and though Bruce could not see her face he could hear the smile in her voice.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Helped her sleep last night,” he explained, just as quietly. Natasha cooed down at the third in response to his explanation and the image it brought to her head of the girl curled up in her nest clutching at her scent. It was quiet for a few more moments before she spoke again.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t remember this couch being here,” she mumbled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bucky moved it so he and Steve could look at the city lights with June,” Bruce chuckled with a small smile.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was sweet of them,” she said in a hushed voice and her mate hummed in agreement. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Below them June shifted in her mate’s arms, letting out a soft whine that changed into a purr as she snuggled more into her mate and Natasha let out a pleased grumble at the action. And thank goodness for the girl, honestly, Bruce was thankful that the other alpha was finally able to do what she had always wanted after a mission. To snuggle, scent, and spoil her mate with affection that had been building up in the days they were apart. In the past Bruce had tried to be that for her but his urges and needs were too similar to hers and they often argued about who should be on the receiving end, both of them too prideful to concede.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are we going to talk about what happened?” He asked softly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Later, when everyone is awake,” she said softly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And right now?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to hug our third and hope she doesn’t wake up,” Natasha chuckled under her beath.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She won't,” he smiled and stood up.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sit next to me?” The red head whispered, more like a question than a command. Bruce purred at her words and moved quickly around the couch to take the space next to her, his weight making the other alpha lean against him. She didn’t move away from him and he took the chance to kiss her on the head before doing the same with June.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was enough to be next to each other, they didn’t have talk or explain themselves, merely mix their familiar pheromones and coo or purr when June shifted in her sleep. Looking out at the city lights and wondering if anyone else was up in the night and what they could possibly be doing. Moving the couch had been a good idea </span>
  <span>after all</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stayed like that for a little while longer until Natasha took the third back to her nest and shared a hug with Bruce as they settled into their own bed for the rest of the morning.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before June was awake Natasha called for a pack meeting and they gathered in the labs, so June wouldn’t be able to walk in on them if she woke up and decided she wanted food immediately. It was not a topic the alpha wanted her little mate to hear as it would definitely be upsetting, just as it had been when she discovered it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>During her mission the alpha came across information about a special auction that would take place the next night and she had been invited as a buyer before being told that the products could be considered rare. Something about the way he looked at her was sickening and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>items</span>
  </em>
  <span> turned out to be two kids who had recently presented as thirds, barely entered into the matching system and taken before having a chance to meet their mates. They looked blearily into the crowd that was shrouded in darkness, mismatched gazes unfocused and fearful.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d come across such things before, seen betas and omegas offered up for trade, though this time the alpha couldn’t help but see June up on the stage, drugged and helpless, wondering where her mates were. Like she had always done in the past, it hit too close to home and Natasha had responded without thinking, into the bond before she could stop herself, which explained the burst of anger that had ripped them from sleep.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you stop it?” Steve asked and his reply was a snarl.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course I did,” her gaze was heavy with disdain. “Dropped them off at the nearest police station, blew my cover but I couldn’t leave them,” she hissed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which was regretful, as it was had been a good profile, one that was often deeply involved with the underground world and would likely be hard to replicate. But the Alpha did not regret it in the slightest.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That could have been June,” Natasha growled darkly. It’d been one of the first times in many years that she had gone against orders and broken protocol but she wouldn’t hear of it. Her thirds face would not leave the kids on the stage, and she wasn’t going to </span>
  <span>abandon</span>
  <span> her mate again.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pack reacted to her words with snarls and hisses of their own, not one of them blaming her for that she had done or the decision she had made. There was a newfound love that they all shared for the girl and each of them could imagine they would have done the same in such a time and place that Natasha had been. If they had been too late for her, if she had been whisked away like what had almost happened to the two other kids it would’ve been a foolish hope for someone like Natasha to help them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This means that there’s a market for thirds,” Pepper said bitterly. “They could be taken by anyone.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was informed that those kids were taken by one man, apparently the best,” Natasha stated.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, he’s dead then,” Tony muttered. “We’re going to get him.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d like that,” Bucky nodded.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Any complaints? None? Good,” Tony said, not giving anyone time to argue. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve looked somewhat conflicted, as they didn’t often chase down one man, but also couldn’t refute the rest of the pack. They would still be doing their other missions and jobs, the search for the man and his auctions would be handled as it appeared, and all of them were eager to start. The whole business of it made the pack think of their own little third and what they would do if anyone ever tried to hurt her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pack breakfast?” The blond alpha asked before Tony could completely bunker down, they were all in a rather dark mood after hearing of Natasha’s discovery and there was an easy way to get out of it. The only person not in the meeting, who had easily won over their hearts that she didn’t want, and still growled at them sometimes.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“June wrote down some new recipes,” Bucky said, recalling the day before.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sitting next to her, none of you can stop me,” Natasha said sternly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Later in the day they would come back to it, the red head would tell Tony everything she had seen and anything else that might help, but for now she wanted to enjoy being around her sassy mate. Asleep she was precious but awake was when all the fun happened, and that was exactly what she needed after such an awful week.</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Natasha is back, woo!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After breakfast, and before June could figure out that she smelled more like Natasha than anything else, her mates scented her. Moving slightly closer to her than last time and nuzzling into her hair once she had slipped into a daze and slumped between the two of them. A couple soft and quiet trills escaped her before she could gather herself back up, a little more coherent than the first time, and fall into her giant cushion once again.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pepper and Bucky, who proved to be somewhat weak to the heady mix of pheromones sat on the couch to keep the third company while the alphas of the pack retreated to the lab to start looking for information. The betas turned on a documentary that June had saved in things to watch and started a journey down watching how things are made while their mates planned and started making calls to get their connections working on information as well.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>An hour into working Tony groaned in dismay as he held up his phone to show the rest of them an image of June between Pepper and Bucky, the third leaning on the brown-haired man with a small pout on her face. He immediately saved the image and muttered about how it was clear to see who the girl liked best in the house while Steve smiled sheepishly, not offering up any explanations or excuses for his mate.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha had him post the picture into their group chat so she could save it as well, the image too cute to pass up on.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve pulled himself away to bring lunch to the pack floor trio, who had shifted to starting a new puzzle while Pepper finished up some work on her information pad. Bucky was halfway through sorting out edge pieces while a still somewhat dazed June stared down at the table in what appeared to be deep thought. Though the alpha could see that she was still in some sort of pheromone daze once he set down sushi that Tony had ordered in bulk for them to munch on in the lab.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you going to sort colors?” She asked him, scent tentative and unsure as she looked at him warily.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span> The plan was to drop off food, lightly scent Bucky, who was doing a good job keeping June company, and return to help once he made sure the third was doing okay. But her gaze combined with a mix of pack pheromones had his inner alpha buckling slightly, which prompted a knowing smirk from his mate who chuckled as he sat down.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll help out for a little bit,” he said with a sigh.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cool,” the third trilled. The sound made Steve look at the man across the table who smiled knowingly and nodded. Similar to the last time she had been scented, when Bucky picked her up and she continued to purr despite not being around her mates, the third was malleable enough for them to sway her with their pheromones and noises.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Make sure you eat some sushi,” he motioned towards the container.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered and Pepper chuckled softly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June was aware that she was still feeling the effects of her second scenting, but also couldn’t do anything to stop herself from feeling so loopy and happy with all the pheromones around her. Last time it had been easier because she fell asleep almost immediately and woke in the morning already past most of it. But this time, she still had the rest of the day ahead of her, and had actually been meaning to ask if she would ever be allowed to use the pool on the gym floor.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had escaped her attention for a long time until she caught Steve walking out of the always locked door with wet hair and smelling of chlorine. Which had to mean there was some sort of pool or water feature that they had yet to tell her about and, while she was a little mad about them not saying anything, she was more excited at the possibility of swimming. Her grandparents had lived near a lake and she’d always liked when they would go visit and spend all day paddling out to the dock or digging holes in the sand. It was also where she had learned how to swim.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>With those thoughts in mind June’s scent soured slightly as she frowned and looked at the three pack members in front of her, who eyed her with expressions of equal parts concern and caution. She was starting to come down from the pheromone high that her mates had inflicted upon her, the fuzziness of her head clearing as she decided she felt cheated.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Steve questioned and her unhappy gaze moved towards him as she pouted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t lie to me,” she grunted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About what?” He continued.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The pool,” she grumbled. “Is there a pool on the gym floor?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes?” The alpha answered skeptically.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah ha!” June exclaimed and Bucky muffled a chuckle. “I knew it,” she growled. “Stupid door is always locked.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to go swimming?” Steve asked and June let out a small scoff.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I was going to stare at it,” she said sarcastically, and earned herself a pinch. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little bit of discipline made her jump and hiss at the alpha who looked slightly amused as his mate finally barked out a laugh. When he went to pinch her again, she leaned back and lowered her neck in submission just enough that he moved away with a soft growl that she made the tiniest whine at.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ask your mates at dinner, then we’ll see about leaving the door unlocked for you,” he said while getting up. “</span>
  <span>How's</span>
  <span> that sound?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” she mumbled and kept her eyes on the table. “Thanks for sorting the colors,” her voice could barely be heard and the alpha smirked as she refused to look at him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” he purred and then was on his way.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky left June and Pepper alone after another hour and the beta took her to the gym floor to look at the pool that she hoped to swim in soon. It was a two-lane lap pool with ladders built into the wall and a wall of windows that looked out into the city with a few scattered chairs that appeared to be brand new. Part of her wanted to jump in right then and there, but the look the beta was giving her said she was somewhat expecting her to do so and it would not be welcome.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had to know that she didn’t have a swim suit, but June was prepared to swim in just her undergarments as soon as she was given the okay to be in the water. Being in there at night would be almost picturesque, and she could do laps back and forth like her mother had always done to get her exercise. Or imagine she was out in a lake with a vast forest stretching out all around her, water chilled and too deep for her to reach the bottom, though it was sure to be covered in plants and weeds.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>All the way at the end there was even a jacuzzi that Pepper explained didn’t get much use as the only ones who seemed to use the pool were Steve and Bucky, though June was confident she would be added to that list. Which meant that she would be relatively undisturbed when she was in the area, as Natasha and Bruce never used it much. June was already looking forward to it and she hadn’t even asked her mates yet.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Near dinner, Pepper was replaced by Bruce who was in charge of making food for the pack meal that evening, and had agreed to try out a new recipe that June had gotten from a television show. There was even a dessert planned, that she would be making on her own, because there was no need for any knife work. She’d almost asked the man about the pool right away but remembered how Steve had made sure to say mates and not mate, as if she had more sway over one than the other, which was not the case.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The result of scenting meant that she didn’t viciously hate being around her soulmates as much anymore and her inner second genders loved the attention of the alphas, always trying to push her more towards them. She’d already started leaning in their direction if they were sitting next to each other, and didn’t growl at them for ruffling her hair anymore. Most of her reactions had changed to heated glares and low grumbles to show her displeasure, and she hated how easily she was caving.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sure, it had been a few months, but at the beginning of it all she couldn’t even stand to be in the same room as them, and wanted to burn anything with their pheromones on it. Now she had one of their pillows in her nest and had to physically stop herself from taking one of Bruce’s cardigans that was discarded in the den. Inner omega pleading at her non-stop to add the clothing to her nest, to complete it with both of her </span>
  <span>alpha's</span>
  <span> scents and belongings and she had almost given in. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dinner turned out great and when it came to dessert June sheepishly presented her chocolate cherry cake with dark ganache that was still in the pan that she baked it in. The third seemed slightly embarrassed by how rough it looked, nothing at all like the one they had gotten from the bakery the other night. But the rest of the pack didn’t mind in the slightest and gave her much the same treatment as last time, ruffling her hair, cooing, and, in her </span>
  <span>mate's</span>
  <span> case, kissing the top of her head before chuckling as she pushed them away.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stooooop,” June growled at them, but all they did was purr in return.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you guys want coffee or milk?” Steve asked as he walked back towards the refrigerator. Nodding when he got an array of different answers in reply and giving the third an expectant stare.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I go in the pool?” She asked, after finally getting the hint. How it had slipped her mind during dinner was beyond her. “Swimming, please?” She added on for added emphasis. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you know how to swim?” Tony mused while taking the first bite of his piece of cake. June gave him an offended glare that he smirked at.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” she hissed back. “I wasn’t asking you anyway.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s my pool,” he countered and she frowned at him bitterly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can go in the pool,” Bruce said cutting the other alpha off. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sudden puff of excited pheromones burst into the room as June smiled and trilled before casting a triumphant expression towards Tony, though the man still looked somewhat smug.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you have a swimsuit?” Natasha asked and the third shrugged.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Underwear works,” she muttered and Steve shook his head. “It covers almost the same amount of skin,” she tried to defend her answer.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll go get one tomorrow,” the red-head chuckled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” June huffed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the girl left them to clean and finish off their pieces of cake, they started talking more about what they had been working on all day until Natasha left them to go spend time with her little mate. Before finding out about the auction she had been looking forward to coming home and spending the day with June and whatever it entailed. Maybe she would write her debriefing notes on the couch with the girl as she watched a documentary, help sort puzzle pieces, or take her out for a date of sorts.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dream was to get home, wrap her in a scented hug, and drag her into the bedroom for much needed relaxation after the stress of a mission, but June was a long way off from that so she’d have to settle. She was improving though, already getting used to them scenting her enough to let them touch her while releasing their pheromones, the real prize would happen when they could nip at her mating gland. And when she was finally at a place where she would do it back, god she looked forward to when that happened.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she got down to the pack floor June was reading a book on the couch that faced the city, in the exact spot that Natasha had been holding her in that morning. The alpha nearly gave herself away with a wave of pleased pheromones that escaped before she could stop herself. The way she gravitated towards them without realizing it was cute, and Natasha was suddenly thankful to the girls second genders who were sure to blame.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I sit with you?” The red-head asked and June cast her a wary glance.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m reading,” she mumbled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have some work to do,” Natasha held up her information pad.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess,” the third sighed and </span>
  <span>readjusted</span>
  <span> herself in the corner.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was a somewhat expressive reader and let her pheromones give away her emotions while she turned the pages. The alpha didn’t even have to look at her face to know when she found something silly, sad, or annoying, and even if she had the girl was wearing an irritated mask that made her appear angry instead. Tony had mentioned it once before, how bitter the girl looked when she was deep into a book, and the red-head was finally seeing it for herself.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It ended when June got up for bed and said a quick good night to her alpha. It didn’t take long for Natasha to move herself into the spot just vacated in order to breathe in the sweet scent of her mate who smelled all the better after their scenting session that morning.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Writing with a cold and a headache sucks.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Even with the weather getting slightly warmer the selection of swimsuits in stores was pretty slim, although Natasha saw it as a chance to spend even more time with her mate as they went from place to place. June didn’t want a really expensive one, and muttered about all the things Pepper had picked for her that she would never had imagined, in her life, she would be able to afford.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They ended up with one that the third picked out for herself and one that her alpha purchased without her knowing. June didn’t much care about color, style, or quality, as long as she was able to go in the water as soon as they returned to the tower. Picking a dark green one piece with a little bit of frill around the shoulders. But was otherwise pretty boring when compared to the black two piece that her mate had chosen and hidden away before the third could even spot it in her hands.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>After getting the garment they went to get lunch at a place of June’s choosing, which ended up being a pizza place with greasy slices that Steve would certainly frown at if he saw them consuming them. He was very much of the mindset that it was always better to make food from scratch than get it from the store or a restaurant. Tony didn’t much care, so they often butt heads about it, but the iron man continued to bring take out to the tower regardless.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were able to walk around outside more without feeling like their fingers might freeze, and June seemed to enjoy looking around at everything for once. Though this only lasted for a little while before she was urging her alpha to return to the tower so she could go swimming.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha agreed with a sigh and they were soon back in the elevator going up the to the pack floor so the third could dump what they had gotten as well as her extra layers before changing. Unable to contain her excitement June was in her new swimsuit quickly and went for the elevator until Natasha stopped her with a growl.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Forcing the girl into a robe so she wasn’t flashing the whole tower with skin they didn’t deserve to see since they weren’t her mates. June complained but frowned instead when she saw that the alpha would not be deterred. Which proved to be good as they passed Steve on the gym floor as she practically ran to the always locked door and yanked on the handle, trilling in excitement when </span>
  <span>it</span>
  <span> opened for her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two alphas shared an amused smile before the red-head followed her mate. June’s robe had been immediately shed and the girl was already in the water, still underwater as the alpha looked after her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she’d first walked out of her room after changing Natasha wanted to scoop her up and mark up all of her exposed skin, which was pale and almost inviting her into action. She’d gained some weight since being in the tower and looked healthier than before, form filling out as they stared her down every meal.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>While she was thinking about the image of June in her suit the girl came to the surface in front of her, taking a deep breath before seeing her mate and sinking back into the water until it was just below her eyes. Staring down her mate she swam towards the other end of the pool, arms and legs working hard as she got used to using her limbs in such a way after a long time.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Following slowly, until she reached one of the few chairs along the window, the alpha chuckled softly at the girl's expression of wariness before inhaling deeply and disappearing under the water once more. Natasha settled herself into one of the chairs and took out her information pad to catch up on notes Tony had made throughout the day. Attention turning towards the pool only when June gasped for air, still staring down the alpha who smiled sheepishly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not going to drown,” the third grumbled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just pretend I’m not here,” Natasha said, turning her attention back to her work. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June responded with a huff that blew bubbles into the water before she continued on her way. The alpha could feel her mate look in her direction every once in a while, mostly in irritation, and did her best to hide a smirk.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being able to swim helped improve her mood greatly and she spent at least two hours every day in the pool for the following week and a half, which helped to tire her out and gave the rest of the pack time to get information. Though she often smelled of chlorine her alphas couldn’t complain too much because of how frequently she fell asleep on the couch. Giving them the chance to secretly scent her as they carried June to her room at the end of the night.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She also didn’t seem to notice as much when more of the pack was gone for their added missions and progress into the auctions as they searched for the third kidnapper. Eventually she didn’t even mind when someone else was in the pool at the same time as her, as Steve and Bucky started doing laps more often. Though her mates were still a somewhat unwanted presence she didn’t growl too much when Bruce joined her for the first time. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Also</span>
  <span> in the den were traces of June’s failed crafts that she started and gave up halfway through before going back to reading a book or working at a puzzle that was giving her trouble. Recently there was a growing number of metal puzzles that had been started by Pepper after she’d gotten one in passing for the third one day. It had taken the girl a little while to solve it but she proudly displayed how she could take it apart and put it back together after tinkering with it for a day.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the pack found themselves idly doing the same thing after more of them began to appear all over the tower, Tony and Bruce were always quick to solve them, usually before June, and liked watching others attempt it afterwards. Some of them were complicated and, in frustration, the third would shove them between couch cushions when she couldn’t complete them. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>On one of the rare days that Tony jumped in the pool June was slowly paddling from side the side, looking as if she had already been in the water for a few hours. Though the alpha knew from Jarvis that she had gotten in only ten minutes prior.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, no snarky greeting?” The alpha teased.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too tired today,” she mumbled, flicking water in his direction.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you go on some huge adventure without us knowing?” He questioned and June frowned.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As if you’d let me leave,” was her growled response.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not in this lifetime,” Tony said sternly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Mhmm</span>
  <span>,” she hummed grumpily. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he swam closer to her the alpha was able to pick out a faintly sweet scent in the air that was slightly different from June’s usual pheromones. She eyed him skeptically and tried to move away as he reached out to touch her forehead carefully, treading water as she leaned against the wall behind her. Growling at the contact she pushed his hand away, somehow the man’s touch, which was usually only annoying, felt very wrong.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>You</span>
  <span> okay?” He questioned when she looked suddenly very uncomfortable in his presence.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Feels bad,” she mumbled, putting her arms on top of the wall to keep herself up.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man looked confused for a moment before his eyebrows rose and he was pulling himself up out of the pool and reaching down to grab her as well. She protested the act and hissed unhappily once she was up out of the water.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” she seethed, his touch still felt very uncomfortable.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re going into pre-heat, Junie,” Tony explained and the girl groaned.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want to.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too late to stop it now,” he chuckled and she frowned.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You could still stop it,” she muttered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No pills for you,” he cut her off with a growl.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dr. Cander had told them it would be better for her to go through at least one or two heat cycles naturally before it would be safe for her to go back on medication again. The concoction of pills she had been prescribed before joining them in the tower had messed with her system greatly, and they wanted her healthy again. The pack had all agreed that her first heat would be spent in the penthouse, away from her mates and everyone else, except for Pepper and Bucky who would be taking care of her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Besides the fact that June would more than likely want nothing to do with her mates before her heat period, before swapping to begging for them desperately, it went without saying that the rest of the pack would die before letting the two alphas take advantage of their mate. Not that they would, or planned to, but urges during heats were stronger than usual.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pre-heat was mostly for scenting, and as the real one approached June would be more and more inclined to seek out her alphas for their pheromones, wanting to completely covered in them as her body got ready for a breeding that wouldn’t happen this time around.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bruce was currently away for a mission and wasn’t scheduled back for at least a couple more days, but Tony would send him a message regardless.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jarvis, please tell Natasha that her little mate has started to smell, and ask Pepper to come down here,” the alpha said as June pouted.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right away, sir,” the voice responded as Tony looked down at the girl.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t give me that look, no more swimming, we’re going back to the den until your heat arrives,” he said as she moved to go back in the water.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” she muttered while lazily getting to her feet.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pepper soon met them in the elevator and took over watching the wet third who disappeared for a little while to take a long shower before plopping onto the couch. After getting a text from Tony, Natasha had gotten home as quickly as possible, immediately dropping what she had been doing to be there for her mate. Who looked grumpy after having been evicted from the pool by Tony and told she would spend the time until her heat stuck on the pack </span>
  <span>floor.</span>
  <span> Even meals would be taken to her there, and she was already lamenting not being able to help during dinner.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you feel?” Natasha asked of the girl, hand reaching to touch her head. The third reacted by pushing herself more into her hand until the alpha was running her fingers through her mate's hair and earning a soft purr in response. She shivered at the feeling of nails scratching her scalp and likened it to the fuzziness that came over her when being scented.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M’ okay,” the girl slurred before catching herself in the act and pulling away. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The red-head, who was pleasantly surprised, grumbled in contentment while sharing a look with the beta next to her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Tony had touched her, it felt wrong, there had been a slight twinge in her chest that told her to get away, but the smallest contact from Natasha had her melting immediately. She’d already gotten over being scented by her mates and it no longer took her half the day to recover, but this was completely different. </span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tony used June’s pre-heat as a chance to order in some Vietnamese food for dinner that night, explaining that it would be unfair to leave the third by herself on the pack floor while they prepared food without her. Luckily the girl complained about not being able to help out and so the excuse had a somewhat viable standing, though Steve still frowned at it regardless. Especially when it all arrived and appeared as if the cocky alpha had gotten everything on the menu.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They brought it all down to the den where Natasha was watching her little mate with a small smile as the girl slowly moved closer and closer to her as the hours dragged on. After being grounded to the pack floor earlier the red-haired alpha had been spending her day on the couch, going over mission notes, and looking up information about thirds in heat. All while June padded around the area and threw unhappy glares and pouts in her direction, scent becoming stronger and stronger as time passed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reacting so quickly to her little head pat earlier had made the girl want to keep her distance, in case something else similar, and unsavory, should happen again. It made sense when they both scented her, because the pheromones of two alphas were very strong and overpowering, how could she not react with a purr. But with a simple head pat and scratch? It was all the fault of the heat that they were letting her have. She hadn’t experienced one in years, not since a couple years after presenting, which was very unhealthy, but at the time she figured it wouldn’t be for too long, because she would stop when her mates found her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though it hadn’t really gone the way she planned.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>From what she remembered, and seen in television and film, heats were miserable without mates, though there were pills and pheromone aides available for those who were going it alone, it was nothing compared to the real thing. Even more so for thirds who required more specific medication and aides, since any old alpha scent wouldn’t do the trick and often made them sicker than anything else.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June wasn’t planning on letting her mates anywhere near her during her heat, and it worked out well enough that Bruce was already gone, so she only had to deal with staring Natasha down from across the room. Except that the woman started to smell even more amazing than usual, and anything that carried her scent called the third over like a beacon. Her inner omega started to push her over to the alpha, though there were still some bits of beta left in her control to keep a little bit of distance it was only a matter of time until it would be overpowered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully Tony proclaimed that it was pack movie and hang out night and added a few more people to the area for June to hide behind and use to avoid her mate. What she hadn’t been expecting was to still be drawn to Natasha despite all the interference between them, in the form of Steve, Bucky, Pepper, and Tony. When the others got close to her, she felt uncomfortable and even let out a soft whine at one point when Steve brushed past her shoulder on accident. The uncontrollable reaction made her blush and want to run away, even as the alpha apologized to both June and Natasha, who had jerked to look at the sound.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>While eating at the table piled high with food Tony took them through a journey of trailers for different movies, some he turned off within the first ten seconds, and others he looked up second a third trailers before deciding against them. It was Pepper who finally picked for them, selecting a fantasy film that she did not let her mate look up the preview for. Complaining that they often gave away the whole movie and defeated the purpose of watching it in the first place.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>After eating they moved over to the couch, even June who, usually sat in her </span>
  <span>lovesac</span>
  <span>, ventured to sit a cushion away from Natasha who stared down anyone who might dare to sit between them. Which was mostly Tony, who teased the action before his mate growled at pulled him down next to her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What rating did this movie get?” The iron man speculated and pulled out his phone when everyone shrugged.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Leave it,” Pepper said sternly. Knowing the man would more than likely read the synopsis out loud and possibly a couple reviews while he was at it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, fine,” he sighed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It started off with a battle scene that was too loud for any of them to talk over, although afterwards Tony was quick to say that the </span>
  <span>fight</span>
  <span> they had been in against Loki had been more intense. Even starting to go into detail while looking at June before Steve got his attention and shook his head with a frown, indicating that it was information the third did not need to know. June hadn’t been listening much anyway.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fifteen minutes into the film and the girl was so far into her thoughts that the screen in front of her might as well have been black for all the attention she was giving it. She was becoming more and more aware of how close she was to her mate, her fated alpha that smelled like a campfire. The smell reminded her of childhood and staying up late to watch bright red coals slowly fade to black during camping trips.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The memory made her vision and thoughts hazy as the rest of the world around her became blurry while the distracting scent of her mate sharpened and clarified in front of her. Tiny, ever shrinking, bits of her beta senses tried to bring her back to reality and kept her slightly grounded as she inched closer to Natasha instead of jumping on top of the alpha. It was hard to fight against the omega within her that welcomed the growing heat and need to be embraced. Insistently pushing images of the three of them tangled together in the alpha’s bed or sitting in the red-heads lap as she licked and nipped at the mating gland on the back of her neck.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She indulged in the fantasies for a moment and shivered at the thought of how a tongue would feel laving at her skin and tasting the pheromones that bubbled up beneath. Would she trail kisses down her shoulder? Or drag her fingers down to her hips to play with the hem of her pants?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dreamlike image had the third blushing in mortified embarrassment and suddenly come back to her senses to see that she was but a few inches from her mate who was looking at her from the corner of her eyes. The pink in her cheeks darkened into a burning blush as she jerked to look away, but didn’t move back to her original seat.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s definitely going to die next,” Tony muttered to his mate.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Based on his fighting ability he’ll probably make it to the end,” Bucky speculated and earned a scoff from the other man.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s lasers in this movie, Buck, lasers,” he countered and the beta stared at him indifferently. “Okay, hah, I bet you,” he glanced around the area. “Those left-over spring rolls that he doesn’t.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want them.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, a bet’s a bet,” Tony smirked as Steve chuckled.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>June had no idea who was who or even what was happening in the film, too caught up in her own thoughts and how the scent of her mate continued to get more and more intense. She knew it was the heat talking, but she wanted to be right next to the alpha or wrapped up completely in her scent until she couldn’t think of anything anymore.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Trying to focus on the characters lasted about two minutes and her inner omega was back to spewing nonsense at her until she realized that she was right next to her alpha. The part of her that was bitter and yelling at her to move away disappeared amongst the many purrs and trills that urged her to continue. Instead of leaning away, which she would’ve done any other time, on any other day, the third pushed herself against the red-heads arm with a little whine. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A moment later she was pulled onto the alpha’s lap and being heavily scented by her mate who had started to purr loudly. June couldn’t help but protest for a few seconds, as her last shreds of sanity and defiance made a short-lived appearance before being completely overtaken by a burning heat and desire to be held.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was impossible for Natasha to focus on the movie in front of them with her third in pre-heat being so close by. She’d done well throughout most of the day and was able to keep her hands to herself, even as the girl continued to let out such delectable smelling pheromones that had her wanting to scent and claim the girl next to her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She imagined taking the third to her room and pinning her to the bed before giving her the attention she deserved. She would take such good care of her, and make up for the absence of their other mate tenfold if it meant they would spend the next three or four days together, undisturbed. But that was not what June wanted, and Natasha was determined to honor that, especially with four other people who would more than rip her apart if she tried to take the third away at this point.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yet, as the girl got closer and closer to her, that resolve began to slip away, and it was the little whine that finally did her in. As soon as June was on her lap Natasha leaned down to scent her neck and wrap her completely in her heady alpha scent before she could come to her senses and escape. She struggled and pushed weakly against the alpha for a moment until her body seemed to give in and slump against her mate's chest. A deep rumbling purr started in her throat and easily lulled the girl into a daze that caused her to lean even more against her form.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the room, and the people within it, began to fade away as June responded with little trills, whimpers, and purrs of her own as she tried to rub more of the alphas scent into her skin and clothes. It was cute and had her alpha cupping the side of her face, which she then leaned into, silently hoping for more skin-on-skin contact. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A growl replaced her purr and she nosed at her little mate’s neck carefully, fingers threading through the long ashy brown hair once more as the third chirped and melted in the embrace. Pushing herself impossibly closer the alpha who took the opportunity to brush her lips over the pulsing mating gland.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before she lost herself completely to the act a spike of pheromones that felt eerily like a warning pulled Natasha from her sudden trance to glance at the rest of the pack around them. Tony was smirking, though the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes which held a silent threat that could be plainly seen on Steve’s face. The two betas were glancing over every so often to make sure everything was okay, but otherwise tried to focus on the film.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Almost lost you,” Tony chuckled, but again, there was something slightly sinister there.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Almost,” Natasha agreed. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She then placed a kiss on June’s forehead, making the girl whimper and seek out more contact, though her alpha merely squeezed the back of her neck until she entered a drowsy subspace. Then, carefully, the woman tucked June’s head against her neck so she could get her fill of pheromones right from the source.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll give you to the end of the movie, then she’s got to go to the pent house,” Steve said sternly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Happened faster than I thought it would,” Natasha muttered. Slowly moving the girl's legs to a more comfortable position until June was limply straddling her mate with her arms tucked between their bodies.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought you had another half day, at least,” Pepper nodded, her attention back on the screens.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She hasn’t had one in years; I’m surprised she had a pre-heat at all, even if it didn’t last long,” Bucky said.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Some omegas can skip pre-heat completely, depending on the situation,” Natasha added. After looking up odds and ends of information for a couple hours earlier that day she hoped there wouldn’t be any more surprises from the girl. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We were lucky then,” Steve said while looking at the third who was purring in the arms of her mate. “Are there nesting materials in the penthouse?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“June gave us some of the blankets from her nest and I’ll give you all my bed sheets,” the red-haired alpha cooed as her mate shifted in her arms, trying to get comfortable again. “Did Bruce send anything back?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, but I’m sure he’s trying to finish up as quickly as possible,” Tony grinned.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is a little spicy~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The movie ended without Natasha even knowing who the main character was or what the conflict had been. All of her attention focused solely on the person wrapped in her arms who was purring like a newborn kitten, face nuzzled against her neck as she drifted in and out of subspace throughout the duration of the film. The most she could do without feeling the judgmental stares from the rest of the pack was kiss the thirds neck every so often which made June either trill or chirp softly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There were a couple times when she would shift and seem to rouse from her heated state to try and get closer to Natasha or push herself away until a gentle hand on her neck and sweet whispered words brought her back under. She was warm and alluring, taunting her alpha with how close their lips were at times and the open pale skin of her unmarked neck that was practically begging for a mark.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For now, the red-head had herself under control, but she could feel her resolve slipping as June whimpered softly when starting to come down from a wave of arousal. Part of the alpha wanted to press her into the couch and slowly mark every part of her body until it wouldn’t be mistaken who she belonged to. While the other knew it would only push the girl further away, and so she restrained herself as much as possible until the movie ended.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Slightly torn between wanting to spend more time with her mate and knowing if it went on much longer she wouldn’t be able to hold herself back, Natasha nearly jumped to her feet at the first sign of credits scrolling. Maneuvering June until the girl's arms were slung around her neck the alpha lifted the third carefully, cooing softly at her mate who didn’t seem to like the movement as she made her way to the elevator.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Can someone get my sheets and everything?” She asked of the pack members that remained on the couch.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll get them,” Pepper volunteered. Natasha called back with a thank you before she was inside the small room with an already illuminated penthouse button that Jarvis had activated immediately.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June’s tantalizing scent immediately filled the elevator and made her mate’s mind reel with suppressed desire, goaded even further by a small, soft, keen that left the girl. The woman couldn’t help but grumble in response, hands supporting her thighs that were soft and warm thanks to her growing heat. Kissing at her neck again only made the growing want even worse as her lips pressed against the slightly puffy mating gland that was ripe and ready to be punctured. But Natasha was better than this, she could force her inner beast down long enough to get away, to keep the girl’s wishes intact.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the doors opened the alpha went straight for the bed, where numerous blankets and pillows had been scattered and what looked to be the beginnings of a nest lay. She sat on the edge and looked down at June to see that the third had blearily opened her eyes to stare at Natasha with a tired expression.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s my little third?” She cooed while nuzzling her cheek against the girl.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I,” she hesitated, voice shaking as a whimper left her lips. “I feel empty,” she whined. “Starting to ache.” And the alpha felt her heart clench painfully at the clear distress of her mate who was starting to come down from the gentle</span>
  
  <span>but forced subspace she had been put under to help with the transition. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know baby,” Natasha let out soothing pheromones as the third started to cry softly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like this.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shhh, it’s okay,” the alpha hushed. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her inner alpha was starting to bubble up with rage at being denied her mate who would now have to go through the next few days without her or Bruce to help. June was hers and, in the end, it wasn’t up to her pack whether or not they mated with each other as the decision fell on the trio alone. Although, as her inner alpha continued to boil and the third insistently released pheromones and writhed in her arms, it seemed that the decision really fell on her alone.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As if sensing that Natasha was at a tipping point the girl in her hold started to squirm more and push against the strength of the alpha holding her. Coming down from her high had given the third a few moments of clarity as she remembered what was happening and scented the growing need seeping from the woman that was beginning to tighten her grip.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I w-want,” June faltered with a whine as her mate started to release an overpowering scent of lust. The third opened her mouth to say something else but the strong pheromones had her sagging instead while her alpha lowered her slowly into the nesting materials.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With her hands still slung around Natasha’s neck it was easy for the woman to capture the girl's lips with her own, a groan of pleasure leaving her mouth the same time June squeaked in surprise. As soon as the third’s hands loosened their grip around her neck the alpha took both wrists in one hand and pushed them to the bed. Following the movement with her kiss as her mate tried to keep up, will to resist disappearing as soon as their lips touched. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>June’s inexperience showed almost immediately, but Natasha merely thought it was cute and knew that it meant they would have all the girl’s first times. She melted at the alpha’s touch and urged the woman to continue with her steadily growing arousal that had exploded into the air around them. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was the memory of Tony staring her down not even thirty minutes ago that had </span>
  <span>the</span>
  <span> woman</span>
  <span> pulling away to let </span>
  <span>her</span>
  <span> breathe, cheeks completely flushed as she panted slowly. Her lips parted just slightly and were wet and shiny from their exchange, begging to be taken again as a little chirp escaped her. June looked dangerous like this, and Natasha already knew Bruce would be caught between fury and burning jealousy at what he had missed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A-alpha,” the third mewled and she froze above her. That one word was enough to drive the alpha over the edge and send her plummeting towards the ground as everything around them faded into nonexistence. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Letting her inner beast out to take over had the red-head deepening the next kiss, tongue slipping into June’s mouth as she let out a soft whine of need that Natasha swallowed hungrily. Stealing any air the girl had managed to get in the few moments apart and letting her pheromones burst out to mix with June’s heavy heated scent. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It felt amazing to have her beneath Natasha, to finally be kissing her after imagining it so many times. A perfect night would have been with all three of them together, Bruce sucking on the girl’s neck while the other alpha let her hands slowly travel down her skin. All the while June would be whining and whimpering for them to continue, following their lips when they pulled away from her to move down her body.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Acting on her thoughts Natasha let her free hand trail down the third’s side, pushing her fingertips underneath the bottom hem of her shirt to feel soft heated skin before a vicious snarl tore her attention away. A commanding wave of threatening pheromones swept into the room as two new alphas entered and leveled her with a dangerous glare.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Head jerking up immediately to look at the sound, Natasha pulled away from June, who whined at the loss of contact, and planted her arms in front of the girl to block her from view of the others. Tony glared darkly at the red-head, disappointment and bitterness clear on his face as the other alpha crouched more over her mate to block the needy third from view.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to be right, I was joking,” the iron man sighed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“Natasha!” </span>
  </b>
  <span>Steve growled without hesitating. </span>
  <b>
    <span>“Leave.”</span>
  </b>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His stern alpha voice, combined with their powerful scents, cut through Natasha’s heated thoughts almost immediately and she suddenly snapped back into reality. Her eyes softened as she looked at her packmates before her gaze fell on the little third beneath her, who was staring at her through half lidded eyes full of longing. With renewed vigor the alpha realized that the air around them now smelled slightly of slick and it took everything she had to get off the third instead of going back in for another kiss.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She could almost taste the sweetness of June’s arousal on her tongue but continued to force herself away from her mate who was now whining and whimpering for her alpha to return. Natasha hesitated at the end of the bed, </span>
  <span>inner alpha </span>
  <span>begging her to turn back around and comfort June through her heat, but she continued forward instead.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“D-don’t,” the girl whimpered. “Please, alpha,” she whispered and her mate growled in frustration.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hearing June sound so desperate was painful and made it hard to breathe. Initially being told that the girl wanted to be alone during her heat had been fine, and the alpha hadn’t thought much of it because of how she normally was. But after holding, scenting, and kissing her it was much harder to push herself away, especially now that the girl was subconsciously begging her to stay. It hurt, to leave, but if she stayed June would likely wake from her heat and hate them even more.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck,” Natasha swore, taking one last look at the third before stalking out of the room. Which caused the girl to keen in distress, hoping that the noise would make the woman return, but it did not.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Being in the same room as a partial omega in heat without feeling any need or urge to engage was strange for Steve and Tony, who were left with their newest </span>
  <span>packmate</span>
  
  <span>that</span>
  <span> had started to cry softly. It was hard to see and hear her so vulnerable knowing that she had at least three days ahead of her that would be much of the same, but they had to do it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Pepper and Bucky appeared momentarily with what looked to be the entire set of bedding from Bruce and Natasha’s room, including the pillows, which they proceeded to</span>
  <span> place next to</span>
  <span> the girl.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Smelling her mates in the sheets, June curled into them quickly muffling her sad noises but not enough that her packmates couldn’t hear them. The two betas looked very uncomfortable with how upset the third was, but encouraged her to complete her nest regardless. Though she had been somewhat touchy before, it was completely different now after having a taste of her alpha. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought Natasha would’ve had more control,” Steve hissed. Watching his mate help a very sad and distressed June to create what would be her safe haven for the next few days.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It makes sense,” Tony defended the woman. “Have you seen June?” He countered when the blond alpha glared at him briefly. “We should be grateful it was Natasha instead of Bruce, can you imagine?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And suddenly the man realized how lucky they were to only have one of the mates around during the heat. Where Natasha could be deterred and handled somewhat easily, Steve could only wonder what would’ve happened had it been the other member of the trio. Bruce had mentioned how he sometimes had trouble holding the green beast inside of him back when it came to June. He wanted to break out and hold the girl, to scent and mark just as much as they did.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Surely an alpha command wouldn’t work on him, and there was almost nothing they could do to get him to stop if he decided to rampage or take the third away from them during her heat. Since he was, technically, one of June’s mates the girl would probably welcome him with open arms.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You just hate seeing her like this,” the iron man growled, motioning towards the whimpering girl on the bed. “I get it.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And this is only the start of it.”</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi this one is a little shorter, but my brain is melting. Literally dying, I couldn't focus on anything for more than ten minutes while writing this. But enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Watching the third go through her heat alone was truly miserable, Bucky and Pepper would take turns checking up on her, feeding and watering her, before running to their mates' arms to be reassured and consoled. She cried a lot, whined and whimpered constantly for her alphas and tried to relieve herself on her own with little to no success. The bedsheets and pillows worked for a day, and then the scent had all but gone and left June hugging and trying to scent her mates uselessly. Any clothing that Natasha wore and discarded was sent directly to the penthouse, while all of Bruce’s things had been raided in a similar fashion.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha was constantly away from the tower, saying that being there made it feel like her skin was on fire, knowing that her mate was begging and crying out for her but not being able to do anything to help. It was torture, and didn’t end on the third or fourth day, even though the little thing was exhausted the heat burned strong and everyone felt it’s weight shift and pile onto them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was on the fifth day that everything started to die down, June, who had been frantic and burning with need was now sagging completely into the ruined nest and bed she had tossed and turned in. Bruce was also set to be back that day and the rest of the pack was so thankful he hadn’t been able to return any sooner. Else they would have had to deal with not only both of the girl’s alphas but also the wrath of the Hulk who would more than likely not let a silly elevator keep him away from where his mate was crying and alone.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Bruce looked</span>
  <span> as exhausted as the rest of them felt having to deal with June for the past four days without any respite. Even Natasha, who hadn’t been given the choice to help or even allowed to hang around the tower too much looked weathered and worn, as if she’d watched everything happen through a glass screen. The man walked into the pack floor with a sigh that many of them mirrored as he took a controlled breath in and out before finally speaking.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that her heat is over,” his voice was measured. “But </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> really wants to hold her, immediately,” he stated and his restrained words made sense. Bruce had to be holding himself back, holding the other one in as much as he could. “I don’t think I can hold </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> back much longer.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He wants out?” Tony questioned, unsure of how he should react.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“To console her, coddle her,” the other alpha nodded, strain clear in his voice.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything we can do to-,” Steve faltered at the end when Bruce shook his head.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, we have to let happen?” Pepper exclaimed. Thinking of how easy it would be for the other creature to hurt June should he make one wrong move. A simple flick of his finger would send the third flying, and a hug too intense would crush her. “Is that even safe?” She seethed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>He</span>
  </em>
  <span> won’t hurt her, I won’t let </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” the man promised with a growl.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not okay with this,” Bucky grumbled lowly. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I tried to come back later, hoping that her heat would be over and done with, thankfully it’s the day she’s coming off it,” Bruce huffed. “But </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> wants out, </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> wants to touch her. I’ve been holding him back long enough and </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> won’t have it anymore.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If it’s that he holds his mate or destroys the tower it should be an easy </span>
  <span>decision</span>
  <span>,” Tony sighed and his mate hissed at him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make sure that nothing happens, I promise,” Natasha growls. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This feels like a horrible idea,” Steve groaned. Yet couldn’t argue that if they denied the Hulk, it would cause much more destruction and damage than actually letting the thing go to its mate like it wanted to.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>he’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> coming,” Bruce grunted.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Against everyone's better judgement Natasha and Bruce got into the elevator heading for the penthouse, the man switching between a forced smile and holding his head in what looked to be great pain. Though the both of them knew it was merely him suppressing turning into the other alpha that had yet to even see June, let alone hold her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The red-head couldn’t help but feel bad for the green monster, as she had had many a day alone with the third and also spent the first few minutes of her heat with her. While the other beast had yet to do anything of the sort. Watching while Bruce got to interact with and hug her, scent her even. It had to be frustrating. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As they got closer and closer to the penthouse floor it was clear how the other alpha started to lose control and his hold on the green monster started to slip within him. When the doors opened to reveal the overpowering scent of tired, unhappy, and desperate third Bruce lost his final shred of sanity over the creature. Shirt ripping immediately off the hulking figure as he approached the bed with a grunt Natasha growled in warning.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He growled right back at her, moving to throw his fist angrily into the area around the bed when the third cried softly and stopped him in his tracks. He looked down at her with his raised fist which seemed to lose its fight as he regarded the small girl he’d been so adamant about meeting.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>
    <span>Careful</span>
  </b>
  <span>,”  Natasha hissed, alpha voice roaring to life. “</span>
  <b>
    <span>Gentle</span>
  </b>
  <span>,” she insisted. Below the green monster June stirred, finally getting a lungful of her mates that had been kept away from her, and refused to help. She whimpered pathetically, turning towards the Hulk only to fall back into the bed exhausted, uncertain if it really was her mates or just another scented fabric from the beta’s who had been caring for her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>One massive hand pawed at June and the girl’s eyes opened blearily to look up </span>
  <span>at</span>
  <span> him, clearly still under some sort of after-heat influence that made her blind to anything but scent. And this man, this green thing smelled like mate and comfort, and she moved towards it, letting him pet her with his large fingers. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What could have been a coo left the Hulk and June responded with a soft trill that made the large man let out an excited scent, one that made the girl whine softly when he pulled away a moment later.  It was strange to see something so destructive, someone that could easily level the whole area in a matter of minutes, be so hesitant and slow when it came to a girl so small. Natasha smiled fondly at the green figure, somehow, she’d always known he could be handled and spoken to in a place where he’d understand. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Mate,” he growled out. The voice was gravelly and the other alpha could </span>
  <span>tell</span>
  <span> he was restraining himself from growling louder or snarling.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Natasha soothed. “She’s ours,” she hummed and the Hulk grumbled low in his chest.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a careful hand he was lifting June to rest comfortably in the crook of his arm, as she was merely a child when compared to his much larger form. The third purred at his embrace and snuggled more into his chest, happy to finally have some skin-on-skin contact after days of being denied it. One, slow, finger brushed some stray hair out of the girls face as she continued to trill and whine while he shifted his hold on her ever so gently. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Deciding that this was where they were going to stay the hulking figure sat down next to the bed, his own chest purring loud enough to physically shake the girl in his arms, who responded by being lulled deeper into subspace.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When Natasha tried to advance on the two of </span>
  <span>them,</span>
  <span> he snarled at her and she hissed right back at him, not wanting to be kept out of spending time with the third who was coming out of her heat.  She wasn’t allowed to touch June, not with the other alpha cradling her ever so close to him, but being near their scents would have to be enough. After all, the red-head spent plenty of time with June compared to the alpha in front of her, and it was only fair that he </span>
  <span>get</span>
  <span> to hold and have access to her at the moment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was quite the sight to see. Probably the biggest and fiercest alpha in the whole city, or perhaps the whole country, sitting down quietly to hold and purr gruffly at his little mate, who returned the sound right back to him. Lulled into a subspace by her large alpha who was more than elated to finally be touching and holding the girl he had only ever been able to look at before. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The mix of pheromones in the air was heavy and even had Natasha wanting to sink down into the bed and inhale some of its sweetness. June smelled like tortured heaven, while the Hulk’s overwhelming scent, which was one she didn’t smell very often, called for everyone in the vicinity to submit to him and let him take over. Which is exactly what she did. All fight to be included in their reunion/meeting for the first time left her as she sank into an armchair and simply observed them and the careful way in which he treated her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>At one point Natasha took a picture, which earned a snarl from the green alpha, only for the third to respond in kind as well, whimpering at the small bit of animosity in the air between her mates. In response the Hulk turned his back on the woman, to keep June for himself and away from prying eyes, though he didn’t know the rest of the pack was watching through one of the many </span>
  <span>cameras</span>
  <span> scattered all throughout the tower. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was ever so careful with the girl the rest of the pack held their breath before seeing how she was treated as if she was made out of glass. Which was very well the case when it came to how strong and powerful the Hulk actually was. He could sneeze and send her flying.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Never in my life would I have expected to see this,” Tony muttered as a few of them nodded in agreement.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If anything happens to June everyone’s dead,” Bucky added in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Best guard dog in the world,” the iron man chuckled softly.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
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